Lot 537
  • 537

AN OCTAGONAL GUAN-TYPE JARDINIERE QIANLONG MARK AND PERIOD |

Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • porcelain
  • Width 7 1/2  in., 19 cm
the gently lobed body raised on four short tapered feet, rising to an everted conforming foliate rim, the center of the interior pierced with a draining hole, applied overall with an lustruous gray-green glaze suffused with crackle, with base with a four-character mark

Condition

In overall good condition with wear to the surface and some minor firing imperfections.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Suffused with an attractive matrix of dark crackles and a luminous, bluish-grey glaze that complement the gentle lobed form, this jardinière embodies the Qianlong emperor’s (r.1736-1795) keen interest in celebrated wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279).  The subtle glaze has been rendered in imitation of Southern Song dynasty guan ware, which was made for the court in the capital Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. Under his reign, such glazes were created to cover a range of carefully selected forms that were either directly inspired by antiquity or new to the potters’ repertoire, such as the present jardinière.

The unusual form, with deep lobed sides and everted rim, is known decorated in various techniques; see a doucai example, decorated with flowering scrolls, sold in our London rooms, 1st-2nd April 1974, lot 325, and twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 26th November 1980, lot 383, and 8th October 2013, lot 3015; and a pink-ground famille-rose enameled jardinière, in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, illustrated in Treasures In The Royalty. The Official Kiln Porcelain of The Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 249.

Compare related Song-inspired glazed jardinières of various forms, such as a Ru-type example with steep, rounded sides and everted rim, sold in our London rooms, 5th July 1977, lot 277; and a pair of Guan-type jardinières of rectangular form and bearing a six-character Qianlong reign mark in underglaze blue, from the Zande Lou Collection, included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Monochromes. The Zande Lou Collection, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 37.