Lot 3217
  • 3217

A JUNYAO 'HUMAN FIGURE' 'PUZZLE' CUP YUAN DYNASTY

Estimate
300,000 - 500,000 HKD
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Description

  • porcelain
well potted with rounded sides rising from a tapered foot to a gently incurved rim, the interior centred with a stylised dome modelled in the form of an inverted lotus blossom enclosing a small figure depicted clad in robes, the dome with four hemispherical openings on the sides to allow movement of the figurine when filled, applied overall save for the unglazed footring with an unctuous milky-blue glaze draining to a mushroom tone at the edges and extremities

Provenance

Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, New York, acquired before 1994.

Condition

The cup is in very good condition. The central figure with a very faint glaze line to the reverse, running horizontally along the base of his robes. There are minute nibbling along the extremities such as the tip of his hair. The central opening with some minute chips along the rim. There is general bubbling to the glaze with some minor inconsistencies.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Cups of this type are often referred to as ‘puzzle' cups for their ingenious and playful construction. These cups were modelled with a domed structure with openings that allowed water to flow through. When the cup was filled a small figure would appear, amusing its user.

A Junyao ‘puzzle cup’, from the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum, London, was included in Illustrated Catalogue of Ru, Guan, Jun, Guangdong and Yixing Wares, London, 1999, pl. 47; and another, excavated from Ningcheng, Chifeng, in Inner Mongolia, dated to the Yuan dynasty, is published in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 215. See also a white-glazed ‘puzzle' cup attributed to the Song dynasty, published in Regina Krahl, Yuegutang. Eine Berliner Sammlung chinesischer Keramik, Berlin, 2000, pl. 216.