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Lot Essay
The roundels on the upper and lower parts of the mount are invocations: ya ghafran (O Forgiving One)
ya sultan (O Sovereignty)
ya Hanan (O Compassionate One)
ya musta'an (O Requiter)
ya 'azum (O Mightly One)
The inscribed band on the rim is the basmallah (invocation in the name of Allah) followed by the Qur'anic text of Surah 68, verse 51:
bismillah al-rahman al-rahim wa an yakad al-din kafaru al-yuzliqunak bi-basrihim lama sami'ua al-dhikaru wa yaqulun innhu lamajnun. 'When they hear Our revelations, the unbelievers almost devour you with their eyes. "He is surely possessed", they say. (Translation from The Koran by N.J. Dawood, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, revised edition, 1979, p. 63.)
This rare but distinctive ewer type with underglaze blue dragon decoration is known in two international collections. A ewer of precisely this form with the same decoration as the current vessel is in the collection of the Topkapi Saray, Istanbul (see J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, III, Qing Dynasty Porcelains, Philip Wilson, London, 1986, pp. 1106-7, no. 2566). The Istanbul ewer has lost its handle, and appears to have a diagonal break across the body. A similar vessel, with its original handle and including a small, flat cover is in the Roemer-Museum in Hildesheim and is published by Ulrich Wiesner in Chinesisches Porzellan. Die Ohlmer'sche Sammlung im Roemer-Museum, Hildescheim, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, no. 70. A pair of similar ewers with handles and covers was sold by Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 1 May 2001, lot 537.
The majority of 18th century pear-shaped ewers are close in both form and decoration to the round-sectioned vessels of the late 14th and early 15th century, like the Yongle example in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), Commerical Press, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 43, no. 41). The current ewer, however, is of flattened form, lending itself to a peach-shaped decorative panel on either side. A version of this form, although with wider neck and square shaped spout can be seen among the tianbai 'sweet white' wares excavated from the early Yongle stratum at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen (see Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Urban Council, Hong Kong, 1989, pp. 96-7, no. 7). Although this form does not appear to have been made in the following reign periods, it reappeared in the Jiajing reign (1522-66) in both monochrome white and with underglaze blue decoration, like the example with a design of children playing in the Percival David Foundation (see R. Scott and R. Kerr, Ceramic Evolution in the Middle Ming Period, Percival David Foundation, London, 1994, p. 30, no. 51). A rare Yongle example of this form with rounded spout and with an underglaze blue five-clawed dragon in the peach-shaped panel on either side was formerly in the T.Y. Chao collection (sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1987, lot 228).
The 16th century, however, saw the arrival in the Chinese porcelain repertoire of another, less sturdy, flattened pear-shaped ewer form, with narrower neck, handle and spout that rise from just above the widest point on the body, and a delicate scroll strut between spout and neck (see an example with kinrande decoration in In Pursuit of the Dragon - Traditions and Transitions in Ming Ceramics, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1988, p. 115, no. 52). The popularity of this 16th century form in Western Asia can be seen in the number of such ewers with kinrande, blue and white, or monochrome glaze with gilt decoration that have been preserved in the Topkai Saray, Istanbul (see J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Porcelain, op. cit, nos.1017-9, 1642, 1644-9). Although the Ming dynasty form usually stood on a higher foot than the current ewer, the link seems clear, particularly in respect of the T.Y. Chao example. It is interesting to note that the origin of the Ming forms were undoubtedly metalwork vessels from Western Asia, although the decoration is mainly Chinese in origin.
The decoration of an imperial five-clawed dragon, stylised floral scrolls, ruyi heads, and plantain leaves on the current ewer is wholly Chinese, but the vessel bears metal mounts applied in Western Asia, and must at some point in its history have been in a Western Asian collection. Indeed it must have been highly valued by its Western Asian owner for them to have gone to the expense of having the metal mounts and handle fitted. The shape of the metal cover echoes the domes so favoured in Islamic architecture, while the chased decoration consists of flowers, birds, cartouches containing inscriptions and a further inscribed band. The metal mounts may possibly have been fitted in Ottoman Turkey, but the chased decoration on the mounts, is Qajar Persian dating to the 19th century. A very similar metal cover and neck fitting, although extending further down the neck, may be seen on a Kangxi blue and white ewer in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. 476.18-6). A later metal cover of slightly less rounded form, but with an additional handle strut can be seen on an early 15th century Chinese blue and white porcelain ewer in the Topkapi Saray (ibid., p. 519, no. 618). Compare also the metal fitting on a transitional blue and white vase in the Victoria and Albert Museum (illustrated by Harry Garner in Oriental Blue and White, London, 1954, pl. 62), which is engraved with similar roundles.
ya sultan (O Sovereignty)
ya Hanan (O Compassionate One)
ya musta'an (O Requiter)
ya 'azum (O Mightly One)
The inscribed band on the rim is the basmallah (invocation in the name of Allah) followed by the Qur'anic text of Surah 68, verse 51:
bismillah al-rahman al-rahim wa an yakad al-din kafaru al-yuzliqunak bi-basrihim lama sami'ua al-dhikaru wa yaqulun innhu lamajnun. 'When they hear Our revelations, the unbelievers almost devour you with their eyes. "He is surely possessed", they say. (Translation from The Koran by N.J. Dawood, Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, revised edition, 1979, p. 63.)
This rare but distinctive ewer type with underglaze blue dragon decoration is known in two international collections. A ewer of precisely this form with the same decoration as the current vessel is in the collection of the Topkapi Saray, Istanbul (see J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, III, Qing Dynasty Porcelains, Philip Wilson, London, 1986, pp. 1106-7, no. 2566). The Istanbul ewer has lost its handle, and appears to have a diagonal break across the body. A similar vessel, with its original handle and including a small, flat cover is in the Roemer-Museum in Hildesheim and is published by Ulrich Wiesner in Chinesisches Porzellan. Die Ohlmer'sche Sammlung im Roemer-Museum, Hildescheim, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, no. 70. A pair of similar ewers with handles and covers was sold by Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 1 May 2001, lot 537.
The majority of 18th century pear-shaped ewers are close in both form and decoration to the round-sectioned vessels of the late 14th and early 15th century, like the Yongle example in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 34 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), Commerical Press, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 43, no. 41). The current ewer, however, is of flattened form, lending itself to a peach-shaped decorative panel on either side. A version of this form, although with wider neck and square shaped spout can be seen among the tianbai 'sweet white' wares excavated from the early Yongle stratum at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen (see Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Urban Council, Hong Kong, 1989, pp. 96-7, no. 7). Although this form does not appear to have been made in the following reign periods, it reappeared in the Jiajing reign (1522-66) in both monochrome white and with underglaze blue decoration, like the example with a design of children playing in the Percival David Foundation (see R. Scott and R. Kerr, Ceramic Evolution in the Middle Ming Period, Percival David Foundation, London, 1994, p. 30, no. 51). A rare Yongle example of this form with rounded spout and with an underglaze blue five-clawed dragon in the peach-shaped panel on either side was formerly in the T.Y. Chao collection (sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1987, lot 228).
The 16th century, however, saw the arrival in the Chinese porcelain repertoire of another, less sturdy, flattened pear-shaped ewer form, with narrower neck, handle and spout that rise from just above the widest point on the body, and a delicate scroll strut between spout and neck (see an example with kinrande decoration in In Pursuit of the Dragon - Traditions and Transitions in Ming Ceramics, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, 1988, p. 115, no. 52). The popularity of this 16th century form in Western Asia can be seen in the number of such ewers with kinrande, blue and white, or monochrome glaze with gilt decoration that have been preserved in the Topkai Saray, Istanbul (see J. Ayers and R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, Yuan and Ming Dynasty Porcelain, op. cit, nos.1017-9, 1642, 1644-9). Although the Ming dynasty form usually stood on a higher foot than the current ewer, the link seems clear, particularly in respect of the T.Y. Chao example. It is interesting to note that the origin of the Ming forms were undoubtedly metalwork vessels from Western Asia, although the decoration is mainly Chinese in origin.
The decoration of an imperial five-clawed dragon, stylised floral scrolls, ruyi heads, and plantain leaves on the current ewer is wholly Chinese, but the vessel bears metal mounts applied in Western Asia, and must at some point in its history have been in a Western Asian collection. Indeed it must have been highly valued by its Western Asian owner for them to have gone to the expense of having the metal mounts and handle fitted. The shape of the metal cover echoes the domes so favoured in Islamic architecture, while the chased decoration consists of flowers, birds, cartouches containing inscriptions and a further inscribed band. The metal mounts may possibly have been fitted in Ottoman Turkey, but the chased decoration on the mounts, is Qajar Persian dating to the 19th century. A very similar metal cover and neck fitting, although extending further down the neck, may be seen on a Kangxi blue and white ewer in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. 476.18-6). A later metal cover of slightly less rounded form, but with an additional handle strut can be seen on an early 15th century Chinese blue and white porcelain ewer in the Topkapi Saray (ibid., p. 519, no. 618). Compare also the metal fitting on a transitional blue and white vase in the Victoria and Albert Museum (illustrated by Harry Garner in Oriental Blue and White, London, 1954, pl. 62), which is engraved with similar roundles.