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Lot Essay
Francis Capel Harrison served as a long standing civil servant in India (1884-1911), and in his later years was appointed Head Commissioner of Paper Currency before returning to London where he became a politician and a correspondent for the Economic Journal, see R. David and D. Jellinek, Provenance, Collectors, Dealers and Scholars in the Field of Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, 2011, p. 223.
The present vase was among a large quantity of mainly monochrome ceramics from the Harrison Collection that were on loan at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, at the turn of the 20th century. Further research at the Ashmolean Museum indicated that there were several loan agreements between the museum and Mr Harrison, and at least two exhibitions are among the records, the first was in December 1903 and the second in July 1905. As such, this explains the expediency of re-using a 1903 label for the later 1905 exhibition in which the present vase was included. The importance of the Harrison cannot be overstated. It is interesting to note that in the 1903 exhibition, Mr Harrison had in his collection a Southern Song Guan octagonal vase which Christie's London subsequently sold, 12 October 1970, lot 90 and is now in The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka.
The Ashmoleum Museum records indicated that the Harrison Collection was returned to the owner before 1925. Some 130 pieces were given on consignment for sale to the London dealer, Bluett's, and most of which were included in Bluett's 1925 exhibition, op. cit., 2011, p. 223.
There are two other blue and white vases of this same shape and similarly decorated dragon motifs. The first was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 May 1989, lot 271, and was later sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 October 2001, lot 814 (fig. 2). The second vase was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 18 March 1991, lot 569. The latter was obviously made into a lamp as it was drilled through the base. However, both these vases are likely to be a pair as their reign marks are in standard seal script and both with a band of lappets on the lower body. The present vase appears to be unique as it has a band of crested waves above the foot, and its archaistic reign mark would suggest it is likely to precede the cited pair sold at auction.
This 'deer head' vase found popularity in the Yongzheng period. A Yongzheng-marked vase, from which the present shape was inspired, is in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. III, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 105, no. 91 (fig. 3). The Palace vase is larger in size (45 cm. high) and is decorated with a dense floral meander. During the Qianlong period, this same shape was also found among monochrome wares, such as the example with a Ru-type glaze included in the exhibition, Ethereal Elegance, Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, The Huaihaitang Collection, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 132-133, no. 25. This monochrome shares the same size and archaistic mark as the present vase, and it has been suggested that the use of this unusual mark would date either in or prior to the 13th year of the Qianlong reign (1748), ibid.
Compare with a related Yongzheng-marked vase of this shape and size, decorated in underglaze blue and rouge enamel, illustrated in Qing Porcelain of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Periods from the Palace Museum, 1989, p. 193, no. 22. It is possible to conclude that the present vase was made very early in the Qianlong reign.
The present vase was among a large quantity of mainly monochrome ceramics from the Harrison Collection that were on loan at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, at the turn of the 20th century. Further research at the Ashmolean Museum indicated that there were several loan agreements between the museum and Mr Harrison, and at least two exhibitions are among the records, the first was in December 1903 and the second in July 1905. As such, this explains the expediency of re-using a 1903 label for the later 1905 exhibition in which the present vase was included. The importance of the Harrison cannot be overstated. It is interesting to note that in the 1903 exhibition, Mr Harrison had in his collection a Southern Song Guan octagonal vase which Christie's London subsequently sold, 12 October 1970, lot 90 and is now in The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka.
The Ashmoleum Museum records indicated that the Harrison Collection was returned to the owner before 1925. Some 130 pieces were given on consignment for sale to the London dealer, Bluett's, and most of which were included in Bluett's 1925 exhibition, op. cit., 2011, p. 223.
There are two other blue and white vases of this same shape and similarly decorated dragon motifs. The first was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16 May 1989, lot 271, and was later sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 October 2001, lot 814 (fig. 2). The second vase was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 18 March 1991, lot 569. The latter was obviously made into a lamp as it was drilled through the base. However, both these vases are likely to be a pair as their reign marks are in standard seal script and both with a band of lappets on the lower body. The present vase appears to be unique as it has a band of crested waves above the foot, and its archaistic reign mark would suggest it is likely to precede the cited pair sold at auction.
This 'deer head' vase found popularity in the Yongzheng period. A Yongzheng-marked vase, from which the present shape was inspired, is in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. III, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 105, no. 91 (fig. 3). The Palace vase is larger in size (45 cm. high) and is decorated with a dense floral meander. During the Qianlong period, this same shape was also found among monochrome wares, such as the example with a Ru-type glaze included in the exhibition, Ethereal Elegance, Porcelain Vases of the Imperial Qing, The Huaihaitang Collection, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 132-133, no. 25. This monochrome shares the same size and archaistic mark as the present vase, and it has been suggested that the use of this unusual mark would date either in or prior to the 13th year of the Qianlong reign (1748), ibid.
Compare with a related Yongzheng-marked vase of this shape and size, decorated in underglaze blue and rouge enamel, illustrated in Qing Porcelain of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Periods from the Palace Museum, 1989, p. 193, no. 22. It is possible to conclude that the present vase was made very early in the Qianlong reign.