A FINE AND RARE YELLOW-GROUND DAYAZHAI MELON-FORM JAR AND COVER

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

細節

A FINE AND RARE YELLOW-GROUND DAYAZHAI MELON-FORM JAR AND COVER
GUANGXU PERIOD (1875-1908)

The elongated jar is subtley moulded with five lobes, finely painted in grisaille with branches of chrysanthemum and daisies growing up from an angular lappet band encircling above the foot, the iron-red Dayazhai mark, 'Abode of Great Refinement', inscribed beside an oval seal tian di yi jia chun, 'Spring in Heaven and on Earth one family', below the rounded shoulder with a ruyi collar enclosing peony sprays, the domed cinquefoil cover with chrysanthemum blooms surmounted by a green enamelled finial shaped as a melon stem, all against a bright yellow-ground, the base with an iron-red mark, Yong qing chang chun, 'Eternal prosperity and enduring spring'
11 1/4 in. (28.5 cm.) overall height, box

來源

Private family collection, Kyoto, Japan

拍品專文

The group of porcelains marked with the characters Dayazhai was made for the personal use of the powerful Empress Dowager, Cixi (1835-1908).

Of significance is an important sub-category of Dayazhai wares which is connected with Cixi's 60th birthday in 1894. Among the decorative characteristics of this group are the inscriptions Dayazhai and Tian di yi jia chun, and the composition of flowers and insects in grisaille against a yellow ground; all of which are found on the present covered jar. Compare with a related jardiniere and covered food box from the Weishaupt collection, illustrated by G. Avitabile, From the Dragon's Treasure, London, 1987, pls. 158 and 159 respectively, both of which share very similar decorative compositions with the present jar. Ronald W. Longsdorf, in his article 'Dayazhai Ware: Porcelains of the Empress Dowager', Orientations, March 1992, p. 46, suggests that the technique of grisaille painting on yellow ground is 'reminiscent of ink painting, especially with the seal mark and 'Da ya zhai' inscription in the same vermilion used for stamping seal marks on paper.'

Compare also the painting style of the present lot with that of a large fish bowl sold in our Singapore Rooms, The Yangzhitang Collection, 30 March 1997, lot 383.