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Lot Essay
Based on the findings in 2001 from the excavation of a Jun kiln site in Shenhouzhen in Yuzhou, Henan, the time frame of Jun ceramic production can be divided into three phases. The firing of Jun wares began in the late Northern Song period, during the reigns of Huizong and Qinzong. The production of Jun wares during this period was still relatively small in scale. Thus Northern Song Jun wares are extremely rare. The characteristics of these early Jun wares include a very fine clay body of russet, russet-brown or pale russet colour; a relatively thin, viscous glaze which is subtle in colour, as seen in an excavated box (fig. 1), and often turns to mushroom near the mouth or to a pale pinkish colour where it thins, as seen in a lotus-form washer (fig. 2). After the Jin dynasty, the Jun glaze becomes much brighter and glossier, lacking the understated elegance seen on Northern Song examples. It is extremely unusual to find copper-red splashes on early Jun wares, both among excavated and heirloom pieces. Those very few such examples are often applied with splashes which are large, irregular in shape and pale in colour. Representative examples include the Jun yuhuchunping (accession no. PDF. 92) and dish with everted mouth (accession no. PDF. 93) in the Percival David Foundation of Art. During the Jin dynasty, the application of copper-red splashes became much more deliberate and controlled. The splashes were reduced in size.
Another important feature of early Jun wares is the application of a thin layer of brown dressing on unglazed areas such as the base and mouth rim (see fig. 1). This feature ceased to appear on Jun wares from the late Jin dynasty, and did not re-emerge until the late Yuan and particularly early Ming period, when the quality of Jun ceramics revived and reached another climax. The technique of glazing was also the most refined during the late Northern Song dynasty. Most bowls and dishes from that period are fully glazed, covering even the bases, and were fired either on unglazed foot rings or on spurs. However, the spur marks are coarser and bigger compared to those on contemporaneous Ru wares (see fig. 2). All these characteristics of Northern Song Jun wares can also be found on the current yuhuchunping.
A closely related example to the current lot is a Jun vase excavated at a Jin-period tomb in Jinshanjin, Beijing (fig. 3). This tomb, dated to the early Jin dynasty, prior to Dading first year (1160), contains a stone sarcophagus buried in earth, a feature commonly seen in burials reserved for the Jurchen people. It is very likely that the vase found there was made in the late Northern Song period, and later fell into the hands of a Jurchen owner during the invasion of Kaifeng and Zhengzhou areas in Henan by the Jin people. The Percival David and Jinshanjin tomb yuhuchunping share several commonalities, including a small mouth whose width measures about one third of that of the body; a long, slightly flared neck which tapers towards the middle of the vase, and an elegantly curved pear-shaped body. Towards the mid-late Jin to early Yuan period, this form experienced a transformation- the mouth became more flared and the neck became shorter. An exemplary piece from this period is a carved Yaozhou yuhuchunping excavated from a hoard in Huachixian, Gansu (fig. 4), which can be dated to the late Jin dynasty. Such change of form is even more prominent on Yuan-dynasty pieces, such as the Jun yuhuchunping excavated from the tomb of Feng Daozhen, dating to Zhiyuan second year (1265) (fig. 5). Amongst all these examples of Jun yuhuchunping, those from the Northern Song dynasty are undoubtedly the most elegant in form and lustrous in colour.
The yuhuchun-form vase first made its appearance in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. During the Tang period, it was used mainly as a water sprinkler in Buddhist temples. Its form became standardised during the Northern Song dynasty, characterised by a long, straight or slightly flared neck, small mouth, pear-shaped body and short foot ring. During this time, it appears that yuhuchunping served primarily as a receptacle for flowers, especially prunus. Multiple proses by Northern Song poets describe flowers or prunus being placed in ‘yuhuchun’, suggesting that this combination was a popular component in the scholar’s studio at the time. Later during the Jin and Yuan periods, yuhuchunping acquired an additional function, and became fashionable containers for wine. In a mural found in a tomb in Yuquancun, Shanxi, dated to Dading ninth year of the Jin dynasty (1169), a banquet scene is depicted, in which an attendant is shown carrying a yuhuchunping wrapped in a towel, suggesting warm wine is contained within (fig. 6). Bottle vases of yuhuchun-form were also made in other kilns such as Ding, Ru, Yaozhou, Longquan, Jizhou and Jingdezhen during the Jin dynasty. However the products are often of lesser quality than their Northern Song counterparts, and were less beloved.
Very few Jun wares from the Northern Song dynasty exist today. Even rarer are yuhuchunping with copper-red splashes such as the present vase, which would undoubtedly have been a treasured object by the literati of the time.
Another important feature of early Jun wares is the application of a thin layer of brown dressing on unglazed areas such as the base and mouth rim (see fig. 1). This feature ceased to appear on Jun wares from the late Jin dynasty, and did not re-emerge until the late Yuan and particularly early Ming period, when the quality of Jun ceramics revived and reached another climax. The technique of glazing was also the most refined during the late Northern Song dynasty. Most bowls and dishes from that period are fully glazed, covering even the bases, and were fired either on unglazed foot rings or on spurs. However, the spur marks are coarser and bigger compared to those on contemporaneous Ru wares (see fig. 2). All these characteristics of Northern Song Jun wares can also be found on the current yuhuchunping.
A closely related example to the current lot is a Jun vase excavated at a Jin-period tomb in Jinshanjin, Beijing (fig. 3). This tomb, dated to the early Jin dynasty, prior to Dading first year (1160), contains a stone sarcophagus buried in earth, a feature commonly seen in burials reserved for the Jurchen people. It is very likely that the vase found there was made in the late Northern Song period, and later fell into the hands of a Jurchen owner during the invasion of Kaifeng and Zhengzhou areas in Henan by the Jin people. The Percival David and Jinshanjin tomb yuhuchunping share several commonalities, including a small mouth whose width measures about one third of that of the body; a long, slightly flared neck which tapers towards the middle of the vase, and an elegantly curved pear-shaped body. Towards the mid-late Jin to early Yuan period, this form experienced a transformation- the mouth became more flared and the neck became shorter. An exemplary piece from this period is a carved Yaozhou yuhuchunping excavated from a hoard in Huachixian, Gansu (fig. 4), which can be dated to the late Jin dynasty. Such change of form is even more prominent on Yuan-dynasty pieces, such as the Jun yuhuchunping excavated from the tomb of Feng Daozhen, dating to Zhiyuan second year (1265) (fig. 5). Amongst all these examples of Jun yuhuchunping, those from the Northern Song dynasty are undoubtedly the most elegant in form and lustrous in colour.
The yuhuchun-form vase first made its appearance in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. During the Tang period, it was used mainly as a water sprinkler in Buddhist temples. Its form became standardised during the Northern Song dynasty, characterised by a long, straight or slightly flared neck, small mouth, pear-shaped body and short foot ring. During this time, it appears that yuhuchunping served primarily as a receptacle for flowers, especially prunus. Multiple proses by Northern Song poets describe flowers or prunus being placed in ‘yuhuchun’, suggesting that this combination was a popular component in the scholar’s studio at the time. Later during the Jin and Yuan periods, yuhuchunping acquired an additional function, and became fashionable containers for wine. In a mural found in a tomb in Yuquancun, Shanxi, dated to Dading ninth year of the Jin dynasty (1169), a banquet scene is depicted, in which an attendant is shown carrying a yuhuchunping wrapped in a towel, suggesting warm wine is contained within (fig. 6). Bottle vases of yuhuchun-form were also made in other kilns such as Ding, Ru, Yaozhou, Longquan, Jizhou and Jingdezhen during the Jin dynasty. However the products are often of lesser quality than their Northern Song counterparts, and were less beloved.
Very few Jun wares from the Northern Song dynasty exist today. Even rarer are yuhuchunping with copper-red splashes such as the present vase, which would undoubtedly have been a treasured object by the literati of the time.