Les Carnets de Philippe Truong

03 novembre 2007

Chritie's London : An early Ming Blue and White Flask - Yongle (1403-1425)

A VERY RARE EARLY MING BLUE AND WHITE FLASK, BIANHU  - YONGLE (1403 - 1425)
The powerfully potted flask of circular form with a flattened base and a short cylindrical neck, applied with two small loop handles on the shoulder, painted in cobalt-blue with characteristic heaping and piling on the domed front with a central raised boss detailed with crashing waves, surrounded by a wide band of composite floral scrolls, the meandering foliage supporting various blooms and associated buds, the side similarly decorated within lined borders, the base unglazed with a countersunk central recess. 13½ in. (34.3 cm.) diam., not including the neck  Formerly in a Swedish collection. - Estimate £150,000-250,000

A Very Rare Early Ming Flask by Rosemary Scott, International Academic Director, Asian Art Departments

This very rare and handsome porcelain flask provides interesting evidence of the influence of the cultures of the Islamic west on Chinese porcelain in the early 15th century. A number of Chinese porcelains were made at that time in forms that show the influence of Islamic artefacts - usually metalwork or glass, but this flask form is one of the rarest. The form of the current porcelain flask is very distinctive, and evidence suggests that it was probably inspired by Islamic metalwork. There is a slightly larger Syrian brass canteen, dating to the mid-13th century, in the collection of the Freer Gallery, Washington, which is of similar form.1 Interestingly the brass canteen is decorated with Christian imagery as well as calligraphy, geometric designs and animal scrolls. The form of the Syrian canteen is, however close to the Chinese porcelain example in that it is circular, with a flat back and domed front, and has a decorative roundel in the centre of the domed surface. However, the mouth of the metal form is more bulbous than that of the porcelain vessel and the handles of the former are strap handles joining the neck and sides.

The porcelain version of the form has small loop handles set some distance on either side of the neck, and these would originally have had ring handles suspended from them. The ring handles are still in place on the Chinese early 15th century blue and white porcelain flask in the Freer Gallery,2 and on two of the flasks in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing,3 but the loose rings are missing from other examples. It would, however, probably have been unwise to hang the porcelain version of this shape from its handles, especially when it was full, since it would have been very heavy and porcelain handles are not especially strong. The porcelain handles could have been used to stabilise the vessel when it was being carried, but perhaps but this could have been combined with a supporting strap around the flask's circumference. Its flat, undecorated, back would have allowed the vessel to rest efficiently against the sides of an animal or vehicle when hung for travelling. However, since the porcelain flask would have been an expensive and precious item when it was made, one wonders how often such pieces were actually used for practical rather than decorative purposes in the early Ming dynasty.

The Syrian 13th century brass canteen in the Freer Gallery appears to be the only published example of such a metal vessel, but a smaller green glazed earthenware pilgrim flask from Sus dating to the Sassanian period (AD 224-642) is in the collection of the Iran Bastan Museum, Teheran.4 This earthenware flask has similar flat encircling sides and domed front to the metalwork and porcelain examples. The handles on the earthenware flask are looped and are placed halfway between the position of those on the metal and porcelain vessels. Such a shape could be slab-made in earthenware, but it is still a moot point as to whether the original version of the form might have been made of leather or metal.

The C- and S-shaped serrated leaves seen in the floral scrolls on Chinese early 15th century flasks of this type decorated in underglaze cobalt blue are likely to have taken their inspiration from the slightly less elongated leaves of the type seen on a 13th century Islamic lustre ware bowl and dish in the Iran Bastan Museum in Teheran.5 Despite being somewhat shorter than those on the Chinese porcelain flask, the C-shaped leaves in the central panel of lustre ware dish from Kasan, have similar smooth internal curves and serrated external edges, while the leaves on the bowl from Jorjan have the S-shaped profile of the leaves seen on the two larger blue and white flasks in Beijing.6 The type of floral scroll with these C- and S-form serrated leaves, which appears on the Chinese blue and white flasks, can be seen on a number of early 15th century blue and white wares - mainly those which owe their form to the influence of the Islamic west. This type of floral scroll can, for example be seen on a tankard in the Burrell Collection, Glasgow, which is based on a Islamic metalwork tankard, and has an Islamic style lattice on its lid.7

The turbulent waves and small eddies, that form the decorative roundel on the raised boss in the centre of the domed side of the flask, are interesting because they are usually seen on early 15th century porcelains in horizontal bands around, for example, the necks of tankards, like the vessel from the Burrell Collection mentioned above, or around the cylindrical bodies of albarellos like the example in the Freer Gallery.8 Similar turbulent waves and eddies also appear as background on some early 15th century porcelains, such as the famous stem bowl with underglaze blue waves and underglaze copper red dragons in the collection of the Percival David Foundation,9 and similar stem bowls which have been excavated from the site of the imperial Ming kilns at Jingdezhen.

An early 15th century blue and white porcelain flask of the same size, form and decoration as the current example is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei.10 The Taipei flask has lost not only its loose ring handles, but also its loop handles, however its neck and mouth are in tact. Another flask of the same form and decoration, but, at 30.4 cm. in height, of smaller size than the current example, is in collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing.11 This Beijing flask has retained both neck and loop handles, but no longer has its loose ring handles. In fact the Palace Museum, Beijing, has four of these early 15th century blue and white porcelain flasks from the Qing court collection, each of different size and displaying three different decorative schemes. The second flask, in ascending order at size at 45 cm. in height, has turbulent waves and eddies painted over the entirety of its sides, in place of the floral scroll on the current vessel.12 This Beijing flask has the floral scroll as an outer band on its domed surface. The rest of the domed surface is decorated with an Islamic-inspired lattice, while the central boss has a roundel of waves and eddies, similar to those on the current flask. The third Beijing flask (H: 46 cm.) is painted with smaller waves acting as background on the raised boss, but the main decoration in that area is an Islamic inspired lattice star.13 The sides of this Beijing flask are decorated with a floral scroll similar to that on the current vessel, as is the major part of the domed section, but the domed section also has an encircling band of waves and eddies. This Beijing flask is of the same form, size and decoration as a further flask in the collection of the Freer Gallery in Washington,14 and another that was sold in Hong Kong by Sotheby's in November 1999. The first two of these flasks have retained their loose ring handles, the third example has not. The last of the four Beijing Palace Museum flasks has the same decorative scheme as the third Beijing flask, but, at a height of 54 cm., is the largest of the flasks and is the only one to have retained its original lid.15 The lid has a bud-shaped finial, and originally a chain or cord would have tied the finial to a small ring that can be seen on one side of the necks of all these flasks. The Beijing flasks have been discussed by Professor Geng Baochang in Ming Qing ciqi jianding, where he also provides line drawings of the proportions.16

A notable feature of all these porcelain flasks is that they have a circular recess in their flat, unglazed side. It seems possible that this domed recess was there to lessen the danger of warping when such a large and heavy vessel was fired. The flat, unfired, sides of all these flasks, including the current example, have darkened radial lines left by a cruciform, six- or eight-legged setter. The potters may have found that it was preferable not to have the recessed central section in contact with the setter all the way across its diameter, and the central recess prevented this. Certainly these large flasks would have offered challenges both for potting and firing. Probably few were ever successfully manufactured, and thus very few of these impressive vessels have survived into the current day.

1 Illustrated on http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/islamic/artofobject1b.htm.
2 The World's Great Collections - Oriental Ceramics, Vol. 9, The Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Kodansha, Tokyo, 1981, black and white plate no. 94
3 The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White with Underglaze Red (I), Commercial Press, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 37, no. 35 and p. 38, no. 36.
4 The World's Great Collections - Oriental Ceramics, Vol 4, Iran Bastan Museum Teheran, Kodansha, Tokyo, 1981, black and white plate no. 101.
5 The World's Great Collections - Oriental Ceramics, Vol 4, Iran Bastan Museum Teheran, op. cit., nos. 34, and 35.
6 The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White with Underglaze Red (I), op. cit., nos. 36 and 37.
7 R. Marks, R. Scott, et al., The Burrell Collection, Collins, Glasgow, 1984, p. 53, no. 17.
8 The World's Great Collections - Oriental Ceramics, Vol. 9, The Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., op. cit., black and white plate no. 96.
9 Rosemary Scott, Imperial Taste - Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1989, p. 63, no. 33.
10 Mingdai chu nian ciqi tezhan mulu, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1982, no. 1.
11 The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White with Underglaze Red (I), op. cit., no. 34.
12 ibid., no. 35.
13 ibid., no. 36.
14 The World's Great Collections - Oriental Ceramics, Vol. 9, The Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., op. cit., black and white plate no. 94.
15 The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White with Underglaze Red (I), op. cit., no. 37.
16 Geng Boachang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding, Forbidden City Publishing, Beijing, 1993, p. 24, fig. 39, and fig. 54.

Christie's London. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART INCLUDING EXPORT ART. 6 November 2007, 10:30 am. 8 King Street, St. James's, London - www.christies.com

Bonhams New Bond Street : A Vietnamese blue and white baluster jar. Late 15th century

A rare Vietnamese blue and white baluster jar. Late 15th century
The stout body painted with a central band of sprays of simple flower heads between tendrils of foliage, above simple lappets around the foot, the broad shoulder set with three scrolling handles, the glaze all typically thin and slightly worn (small rim chip). 10.5cm (4¼in) high. Estimate: £3,000 - 5,000

Footnote: Provenance: purchased from Hugh Moss Limited in the late 1960’s, no. 8675.
Illustrated: Adrian Joseph, Annamese Ceramics excavated in the Philippines, col. pl.28

Bonhams New Bond Street. Fine Chinese Art, 5 Nov 2007

Christie's London : A pair of green-enamelled dishes Yongzhen

A PAIR OF VERY RARE BLACK-GROUND GREEN-ENAMELLED DISHES
UNDERGLAZE BLUE YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARKS WITHIN DOUBLE CIRCLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1722-35)
Each with shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot, the interior finely painted in 'silhouette-reserve' on a black ground and glazed a translucent emerald green with various insects amongst millet, blossoming peony and chrysanthemum branches issuing from rockwork, the reverse with a band of scrolling lotus and foliage. 7¾ in. (19.6 cm.) diam. (2) - Estimate £100,000-150,000

This rare design belongs to a known but very small group of green and black wares including dishes and vases. A similar pair of dishes were sold Sotheby's London, 6 July 1971, lot 230. A pair of smaller dishes but with a single blossoming prunus branch growing across the centre from the rim and with the bajixiang around the exterior were sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23 May 1978, lot 164. Another similar dish is illustrated by John Ayers in The Baur Collection, vol. IV, pl. A568, where the central image of a bird perched among peonies on rockwork is surrounded by a lotus scroll around the well. Qianlong period examples illustrate a change in the basic design, where a border always surrounds the main field. A dish of smaller size, with flowering and fruiting plants issuing from rockwork now surrounded by a lotus scroll border repeated on the reverse was sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 1978, lot 363. Another with birds and peonies surrounded by a panelled border containing scholars' objects and scrolling lotus around the reverse was sold in the same Rooms, 25 April 2004, lot 269. A much larger Qianlong dish was sold in these Rooms, 5 June 1995, lot 210, again with a pair of birds perching among peonies and rockwork, but surrounded by a broad border of the bajixiang within a lotus scroll. An ogee bowl of similar pattern was also sold in these Rooms, 11 June 1990, lot 269; a pear-shaped vase in Christie's Hong Kong, 1 May 1995, lot 660; and a smaller dish in these rooms, 9 November 2004, lot 179.

Christie's London. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART INCLUDING EXPORT ART. 6 November 2007, 10:30 am. 8 King Street, St. James's, London - www.christies.com

Christie's London : A Rhinoceros horn libation cup - 17th century

A RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP - 17TH CENTURY
Finely carved with a continuous river landscape depicting a scholar seated at the water's edge contemplating the moon, all surrounded by rockwork and overhanging trees, a large pine tree forming the handle at one end, the boughs continuing over the rim, the horn of a warm honey tone. 6¾ in. (17.7 cm.) wide - Estimate £35,000-45,000

Christie's London. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART INCLUDING EXPORT ART. 6 November 2007, 10:30 am. 8 King Street, St. James's, London. www.christies.com

Etude Piasa : Importante potiche KANGXI

Époque KANGXI (1662 - 1722). Importante potiche en porcelaine blanche décorée en bleu sous couverte d'une scène de chasse au lapin et volatiles dans un paysage entouré de montagne. Le col orné d'une frise géométrique surmontée de personnages dans un paysage lacustre. (Fêlure). Hauteur : 48,5 cm. Estimé : 4 000 / 5 000 € - Non adjugé

Etude Piasa Paris. Arts d'Asie. Vente du 24 octobre 2007

Etude Giafferi Paris : Dynastie Yuan, Vase flacon de forme meïping

Chine. Dynastie Yuan. 1271 à 1368. Vase flacon de forme meïping en grès porcelaineux à décor cizhu enluminé de motifs floraux et arabesques en oxyde de brun sur épaisse couverte monochrome blanc crémeux. Ht 32cm x diam 3cm. Estimation  1200 / 1 500 € - Adjugé 1 100 €.

Etude Giafferi Paris. Art d'Asie . Vente du 5 octobre 2007

Eskenazi Ltd, Gorge in clouds by LI HUAYI

From the 1st - 10th November, London's leading Asian art dealers, auction houses and academic and cultural institutions will unite to present an exciting programme of gallery receptions, auctions, lectures, symposia and museum exhibitions, as well as the Kensington Palace gala evening, for lovers and collectors of Asian art.

Gorge in clouds
MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES BY LI HUAYI
Ink on paper - 96 x 53 cm - (detail)

(all text & images © Eskenazi Ltd)

Eskenazi Ltd, 10 Clifford StreetLondon, W1S 2LJ - Tel: +44 (0)20 7493 5464 - Fax: +44 (0)20 7499 3136 - E-mail: gallery@eskenazi.co.uk - Website: www.eskenazi.co.uk