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A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF 'SHIPWRECK' PORCELAIN Since the 1980's, a number of ships from the 15th to 19th Century with large quantities of Far Eastern ceramics have been salvaged and brought to the market through auction. The discovery in the South Chinese seas of some few hundred thousand pieces of ceramics has underlined the enormous variety that had been produced both for the local Asian as Western market and, in general, has shed new light on the history of Chinese porcelain. It also attracted a large group of new collectors that had hitherto not been exposed to the ceramics of the Far East. This collection of ceramics from shipwrecks, gives an impression of the different types of porcelain that have been excavated from the depth of the seas in the last twenty years. In this collection there are examples of Annamese blue and white and enamelled ware from a Vietnamese cargo, now known as the 'Hoi An' wreck. These pieces were produced in the 15th century, during the 'Ming gap', when Chinese export was temporarily suspended and Vietnamese potters took over the porcelain trade. A cargo which demonstrates the great influence of Western demand for Chinese ceramics, is the 'Vung Tau' cargo, an Asian trading vessel headed for Holland. The porcelain, produced around 1683, bore designs that often had no precedent in Asian ceramics but emulated Western silver or glass and was primarily used for display in important homes. The 17th century Swatow ware that was salvaged from the 'Bin Thuan' wreck was probably destined for the Southeast Asian market, since Europe favoured the fashionable Wanli-style at the time. The 'Ca Mau' wreck, is dated to the first quarter of the 18th century. This ship contained a large and varied group of porcelain, also intended for the Dutch market. Some of the decorations bear similarities to the later 'Nanking Cargo' type that was also destined for Europe. During the mid 18th Century porcelain became so much wider available in sufficient quantities that is was not only used to accentuate the architectural features of an interior or to fill a 'China cabinet', but became an essential part of the furnishing in every respectable house, along with good silver, furniture, carpets and pictures.

An assorted lot of 'Nanking Cargo' porcelain

CIRCA 1750

Details

An assorted lot of 'Nanking Cargo' porcelain
Circa 1750
Comprising an enamelled and gilt plate painted with a pavilion in a mountainous river landscape, 23 cm. diam.; an underglaze-blue and enamelled cylindrical tankard with strap handle painted with tree peony issuing from rockwork, 10.4 cm. high; an enamelled and gilt coffee cup and saucer; and a teabowl, loss to enamels (6)

Special notice

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.

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