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Lot Essay
The two long inscriptions to the sides contain the Former Ode to the Red Cliff and the Later Ode to the Red Cliff, both composed by the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (1037-1101). The nine-characters following each long inscription contain the titles of the poems and Su Dongpo's other name, Su Zizhan. The other two sides of the vase depict scenes from the odes.
A very similar 'Red Cliff' square vase is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Hong Kong, 1998, pp. 42 and 43, pl. 31. For a discussion on these particular types of tall square vases adorned with landscapes scenes produced in the late 17th century, see Julia B. Curtis' paper 'Markets and Motifs on Seventeenth Century Porcelain from Jingdezhen', in The Porcelains of Jingdezhen, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 16, Percival David Foundation, London, 1992, pp. 144 and 145, in which she also mentions that three such vases are in the collection of Sir Michael Butler.
A very similar 'Red Cliff' square vase is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares, Hong Kong, 1998, pp. 42 and 43, pl. 31. For a discussion on these particular types of tall square vases adorned with landscapes scenes produced in the late 17th century, see Julia B. Curtis' paper 'Markets and Motifs on Seventeenth Century Porcelain from Jingdezhen', in The Porcelains of Jingdezhen, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 16, Percival David Foundation, London, 1992, pp. 144 and 145, in which she also mentions that three such vases are in the collection of Sir Michael Butler.