A VERY RARE EARLY MING LONGQUAN CELADON GLOBULAR 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' VASE
THE PROPERTY OF AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN
A VERY RARE EARLY MING LONGQUAN CELADON GLOBULAR 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' VASE

MING DYNASTY, 14TH/15TH CENTURY

Details
A VERY RARE EARLY MING LONGQUAN CELADON GLOBULAR 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' VASE
MING DYNASTY, 14TH/15TH CENTURY
The sturdily potted globular body is deeply moulded and carved with four foliated chrysanthemum scrolls above a band of narrow upright petals, the ribbed neck with bands of incised chevron and ruyi pattern flared upwards to a rolled-top mouth decorated with applied bosses. The vase is covered overall with a thick glaze of greenish-olive tone thinning to reveal the pale body underneath on the extremities.
14 in. (35.5 cm) high
Provenance
This item was given by the chief priest at the Nishi Honganji temple as a new year's gift in December of 1877
A Japanese private collection
Sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2539

Brought to you by

Angela Kung
Angela Kung

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

Sign in
View condition report

Lot Essay

Longquan vases of this form, undoubtedly inspired by contemporaneous metal ware, are exceptionally rare. The Palace Museum in Beijing has a very similar vase, illustrated in Ceramics Galleries of the Palace Museum, Part II, Beijing, 2008, p. 373, pl. 290. Another smaller vase without the moulded decoration is in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 474, pl.16:33 where the author mentions the unusual roll-up mouth with bosses might have taken its inspiration from the Tibetan brass and copper ewers. Another example with a carved rather than moulded primary decorative band was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1472.

The application of sprig-moulded ornaments on Longquan celadons developed during the Yuan dyansty. This technique involved the manufacture of separate ornaments in open moulds and then applied to the clay body before glazing and firing. Incising and moulding in relief were the most common techniques used individually or in combination as seen on the present lot.

More from Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

View All
View All