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Lot Essay
The extraordinary effect of this glaze is achieved by applying an opaque stippled turquoise glaze coloured with copper and made opaque by mixing the arsenic as an opacifier. Rose Kerr noted in Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing dynasty, London, 1986, p. 88, that while visual examination reveals there to be two distinctive types of robin's-egg glaze, one streaked with copper-red, like the current censer, and the other stippled with blotches of turquoise and dark blue, further analysis is required to clarify the chemistry of these glazes. It appears that the former type is much rarer.
Robin's egg glaze first appeared during the Yongzheng reign, as a re-interpretation of the Song dynasty Jun wares and innovation of the Imperial kiln potters. It is known as lu Jun (furnace Jun) glaze in Chinese because it was fired in a furnace of lower temperature for the second time. For detailed discussion, refer to Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994, p. 252.
According to Comprehensive Records of Zaobanchu Workshops, in the seventh year of the Yongzheng reign, an Imperial command was issued to the Imperial Household Department for several wood censer samples to be made and sent to Nian Xiyao in Jingdezhen. Nian was instructed to create ceramic censers in Jun glaze based on the shapes of the wood samples. In the Yongzheng eighth year, Nian Xiyao sent twelve 'Jun-imitation' censers to the palace, and received approval from the Emperor who requested several more pieces of the same type to be fired. Eight days later, another command was issued to the Imperial Household Department to make two stands for two 'Jun-imitation' censers to be displayed in a newly constructed residence within the palace (see Annotated Collection of Historical Documents on Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Taipei, 2000, p. 220-221). These records reveal that censers made to imitate Jun wares had gained an elevated level of recognition and admiration from the Emperor.
Another Yongzheng-marked robin's egg-glazed censer was included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1977, Catalogue, no. 108. A number of Yongzheng-marked censers of this form were sold at auction, the first at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 November 2004, lot 876; another from the Edward T. Chow Collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1991, lot 502; one sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2010, lot 2665; and one at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2559.
An interesting point of note is that the form of the present censer was inspired by those made in metalwork of the Ming dynasty such as the examples included in the exhibition, A Special Exhibition of Incenser Burners and Perfumers Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 197-198, nos. 52 and 53. Following in the style of archaism, the foot ring of the present censer is dressed in brown to emulate its bronze Ming prototype.
Robin's egg glaze first appeared during the Yongzheng reign, as a re-interpretation of the Song dynasty Jun wares and innovation of the Imperial kiln potters. It is known as lu Jun (furnace Jun) glaze in Chinese because it was fired in a furnace of lower temperature for the second time. For detailed discussion, refer to Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994, p. 252.
According to Comprehensive Records of Zaobanchu Workshops, in the seventh year of the Yongzheng reign, an Imperial command was issued to the Imperial Household Department for several wood censer samples to be made and sent to Nian Xiyao in Jingdezhen. Nian was instructed to create ceramic censers in Jun glaze based on the shapes of the wood samples. In the Yongzheng eighth year, Nian Xiyao sent twelve 'Jun-imitation' censers to the palace, and received approval from the Emperor who requested several more pieces of the same type to be fired. Eight days later, another command was issued to the Imperial Household Department to make two stands for two 'Jun-imitation' censers to be displayed in a newly constructed residence within the palace (see Annotated Collection of Historical Documents on Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Taipei, 2000, p. 220-221). These records reveal that censers made to imitate Jun wares had gained an elevated level of recognition and admiration from the Emperor.
Another Yongzheng-marked robin's egg-glazed censer was included in the Min Chiu Society exhibition Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1977, Catalogue, no. 108. A number of Yongzheng-marked censers of this form were sold at auction, the first at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 November 2004, lot 876; another from the Edward T. Chow Collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1991, lot 502; one sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2010, lot 2665; and one at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2559.
An interesting point of note is that the form of the present censer was inspired by those made in metalwork of the Ming dynasty such as the examples included in the exhibition, A Special Exhibition of Incenser Burners and Perfumers Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 197-198, nos. 52 and 53. Following in the style of archaism, the foot ring of the present censer is dressed in brown to emulate its bronze Ming prototype.