A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE COPPER-RED DECORATED PEAR-SHAPED VASE, YUHUCHUNPING

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An Exceptional and Rare Hongwu Copper Red Pear-shaped Vase Rosemary Scott, International Academic Director, Asian Art The generous proportions of this Hongwu pear-shaped vase Yuhuchunping are characteristic of the late 14th century, and provided the ceramic decorator with a broad expanse of porcelain on which to paint the well-balanced peony scroll that dominates its decorative scheme. This decorative scheme is enhanced by the richness of colour seen in the copper red pigment, and the artistic confidence of the decorator's brush. The vase is also very rare in being undamaged, since so many other examples of this form have damage to their fragile mouth rims. Even a similar vase preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing has suffered loss to its everted mouth rim (1). Copper oxide was utilised to produce red on high-fired ceramics as early as the Tang dynasty, and from that time onwards it has provided a formidable challenge to the potter. The various steps that went into the production of fine copper red decorations are so sensitive that great care has to be taken with the composition of the base glaze, the percentage of copper, the temperature and degree of reduction in the firing, and the placement of the vessels within the kiln. Even today, with all the technological advances that have occurred since the 14th century, a potter trying to produce copper red wares may open the kiln and find not the desired, beautiful, raspberry red, but dull grey or even areas where the colour has all but faded completely. The exceptional difficulties faced by Chinese imperial kilns trying to produce underglaze red decoration on porcelains is well illustrated by various memorials sent to the imperial court by censors. Even as late as the 5th year of the Longqing emperor's reign (AD 1571), a despairing censor called Xu Shi sent a memorial to the throne begging the emperor to reduce the burden placed on the workforce by excessive palace orders for Jingdezhen porcelain. One of the most significant parts of his request was that the order for underglaze red decorated porcelains should be replaced by those decorated with overglaze iron red. Bearing in mind not only that Chinese emperors did not usually accede gracefully to suggested curbing of their imperial demands, but also the fact that porcelains decorated in overglaze iron red would have to be fired twice - with concomitant losses, such a request would not have been made lightly. It provides, however, a good indication of the difficulty that the potters experienced in producing porcelains using underglaze copper red and helps to explain the rarity of fine quality porcelains of this type. As is often the case, it is probable that this tantalizing decorative technique was discovered empirically or by accident. The first high-fired Chinese wares on which copper red was used, for decoration and also as a monochrome glaze, appear to date to the Tang dynasty (AD 618-906). A very small number of monochrome copper red glazed stonewares, and a larger number of vessels painted with designs in copper red were made at the Tongguan kilns at Changsha in Hunan province in the 9th century. In some instances the changing of the fluid designs from copper green to copper red may have been fortuitous, but in other cases it was definitely the potter's intention. A vessel which makes this intention clear is a jar in the Cernuschi Museum, Paris, which is decorated with alternating red spots and green lines (2). In the 10th century splashes of copper red were applied to a small number of white-slipped stoneware vessels from northern China, perhaps providing the inspiration for the striking copper red splashes on Jun wares made in Henan province during the Song and later periods. In the late 1980s excavations at the Rongxian kilns in Guangxi province revealed very rare fragments of Song dynasty copper red monochrome porcelains (4). These Song dynasty Guangxi wares from a provincial kiln that generally produced pieces in imitation of Qingbai and Yaozhou wares, are the earliest porcelains so far discovered in China that employed copper to achieve a red monochrome glaze. The only other evidence of the use of copper red in the Song dynasty is the appearance of copper red spots (in the same style as the iron brown spots on tobi seiji wares) on a very small number of Longquan celadons, which were made in the 12th and 13th centuries (5). It seems that it was not until the Yuan dynasty that decoration using copper red was adopted by the potters of Jingdezhen, at which time they appear to have made a concerted effort to master this challenging decorative material. This was an era of experimentation and in the case of copper red decoration three techniques of application were tried - splashes, reserved decoration and painted decoration. Very few splashed wares are known (6)(fig. 1), but the technique appears on a small number of pieces found at Gao'an in Jiangxi province, including a stem cup with revolving bowl and an applied relief chi dragon (7). These splashed porcelains may have been influenced by the popular Jun wares of the north, but also recall the splashed northern white wares of the 10th century. The reserved wares of the Yuan period, although interesting, were not generally a success. On these vessels the design was incised into the body of the vessel, under the glaze, and copper red was applied in a band avoiding the area of the design. The decoration should have stood out in white against the red. Unfortunately in almost all cases the glaze, which was similar to that used on qingbai wares, tended to run, taking the red with it and obscuring parts of the design (8)(fig. 2). When underglaze copper red with reserved decoration was attempted in the Hongwu period it was in association with a different, less fluid, glaze and employed a good deal less copper. The success of this approach can be seen on the bowl with reserved decoration both inside and out sold at Christie's London in 1988 (9)(fig. 3), exhibiting a much more successfully controlled design. By the early 15th century reserved designs created using stencils did not generally suffer from running of the coloured areas, but were still susceptible to poor colour development. In concert with developments in the use of underglaze cobalt blue, the application of copper red decoration that endured most successfully into the early Ming dynasty was that of painted designs in red on white. This technique offered just as many challenges to the potter as the other styles, since the colour still had a tendency to 'bleed' into the surrounding glaze, as on a jar in the Shanghai Museum (10)(fig. 4) , or to turn grey, as on some of the bowls excavated at Dongmentou Zhushan (11). In some cases the colour disappeared almost entirely. Nevertheless, such was the appreciation of these porcelains that the potters persevered and a few fine examples of 14th century red and white, such as the current pear-shaped vase, have survived to the present day. However, successfully fired vessels, preserved in good condition, such as the current vase, are extremely rare. It was not only for their rarity and beauty that copper red decorated porcelains were esteemed. The colour red has traditionally been associated in China with happiness and celebration. It is also worth noting that, according to the Da Ming Hui Dian (12), in the second year of his reign (AD 1369) the Hongwu emperor issued an edict decreeing that thenceforth vessels on the imperial altars should no longer be of metal but of porcelain. In time specific colours were required for the different altars, and red was the colour ascribed to the Chaoritan, the altar of the sun. Nevertheless, at various times in China's ceramic history the manufacture of copper red wares has been abandoned simply because of the degree of difficulty involved in its production and the high failure rate. Those porcelains with copper red glaze or painted decoration that have been preserved through the centuries are, therefore, all the more greatly treasured by connoisseurs. It has been suggested by a number of authors that the Hongwu Emperor was particularly fond of ceramics decorated in copper red. This imperial preference appears to have been confirmed by the results of excavations carried out at the Nanjing Palace, the construction of which was started by General Zhu Yuanzhang (AD 1326-980) in the south-eastern part of the city (then called Jinling) in 1366, some two years before he finally defeated the Mongols and re-established a native Chinese dynasty in 1368 under the reign name Hongwu. Roof tiles and other architectural ceramics in China are usually decorated with brightly coloured lead-fluxed glazes, like those on the famous yellow roof tiles of the Forbidden City in Beijing. In 1989, however, archaeologists excavating within the early Ming Palace walls between the Xiye Gate and the Temple of the God of Earth and Grain found eight 14th century white roof-end goutou and dishui tiles decorated with relief designs painted in underglaze red. The round tiles were decorated with dragons, while the cloud-shaped tiles bore phoenixes in flight (13)(fig. 5). Excavations carried out at the imperial kilns at Zhushan, Jingdezhen have also provided a wealth of information regarding the porcelains made for the court during the Hongwu reign. This archaeological material has confirmed that designs on underglaze cobalt blue porcelains and those on underglaze copper red wares followed largely similar paths in the second half of the 14th century, as can be seen in the case of the underglaze blue lobed jar excavated from the site (14), which closely mirrors the similarly shaped jar in the Shanghai Museum mentioned above. These Hongwu painted porcelains provide a fascinating bridge between the decorative styles of the Yuan and those of the Yongle reign of the Ming dynasty. The specific profile of the current vase reflects an interesting stage of transition in the pear-shaped vase form at Jingdezhen. This Hongwu vase lies between the rather light version of the shape seen in the Yuan dynasty, and the heavier vessels typical of the Yongle reign with shorter neck and lower centre of gravity. The current vase has a wider lower body than the Yuan examples (15), which provides for a greater contrast with the narrowed neck, and gives a more striking and sinuous S-form to the profile. While lower than on Yuan vases, the widest part of the body has not yet descended so close to the foot as it was to do in the Yongle period. Finely potted and elegant, this red and white pear-shaped vase exemplifies the best of Hongwu ceramics. Indeed the shape of this vessel precisely accords with that of a pear-shaped vase excavated in 1960 from the tomb of Song Sheng, Hongwu's loyal official, who had numerous honours and titles bestowed upon him by the Yongle emperor (AD 1403-24) including Marquis of Xining, and whose two sons married daughters of the emperor (16). One of the characteristics of this form is the fine potting of the widely flaring mouth. Unfortunately this attractive feature leaves the shape very vulnerable to damage, and the vast majority of the extant pieces have been broken around the mouth rim. This underlines the rarity of the current vessel's good condition. This pear-shaped vase is also interesting for its place in the development of decorative schemes. The Hongwu period was one of transition in the development of decorative styles on underglaze decorated porcelains. In the late 14th century there was a change of emphasis from the Yuan style, and in the Hongwu reign minor bands were reduced in size and the major bands gain in size and importance. This can clearly be seen on the current vase, where the confident peony scroll dominates the greater part of the form. The cloud-collar of the Yuan dynasty has been reduced to a lappet band above the main design. The latter is typical of the period and can also be seen on an underglaze copper red pear-shaped ewer in the collection of the Percival David Foundation (17)(fig. 6), and also on an excavated blue and white pear-shaped ewer from Dongmentou (18). Another blue and white pear-shaped ewer from the same excavation also has a lappet band but of slightly more complex form (19). This second ewer also shares with the current red and white vase a classic scroll around the foot, above which are rather delicate petal panels, in both cases containing scrolling cloud-like motifs. These petal panels can be seen as a lighter, less formal version of the Yuan petal bands seen around the base of vessels like van Hemert jar sold by Christie's London in July 2005, lot 88. Another point of similarity worth noting is in the development of the plantain leaves on the necks of the Hongwu copper red vase. While on Yuan vessels, like the mid-14th century David Vases, the leaves have a thick, darkly painted, scalloped edge and a darkly painted central vein, the Hongwu example has a narrower edge and the central vein has merely been outlined, giving the band a much lighter appearance in keeping with the slender form of the neck. This vase has a key-fret band between the classic scrolls and the plantain leaves on the neck. Three vases with otherwise identical decorative designs are known - one is the pear-shaped vase sold by Christie's Hong Kong on 30 May 2006 (20)(fig. 7). In place of the key-fret band on the lower neck, these three have a band that is made up of overlapping concentric arcs suggesting water (21). This too represents a development from Yuan design. Its origins lie in the stylised depiction of background water seen within the major cloud collar bands of some Yuan vessels. A typical example is the large jar decorated in underglaze blue and red excavated from the Yuan hoard at Baoding in Hebei province, where the concentric arcs provide the ground for floating lotus blossoms (22). While quite a wide variety of flowers appear as vertical sprays on Hongwu porcelains, the variety of floral scrolls used in the main decorative band of vessels is more limited. The most popular floral scrolls were those comprising the chrysanthemum, lotus or peony. The bold peony scroll on the current vase displays three aspects of painting style characteristic of fine Hongwu porcelains. Firstly, a greater prominence has been given to budding flowers, which provide pleasing highlights to the leafy scrolling stems. Secondly the stamens in the centres of the full-face flowers are ringed by a white band. This is a very effective device, which provides contrast with the deep colour of the petals. A similar device was used on Hongwu chrysanthemum scrolls, while the lotus flowers were often given an inner ring of white petals. The third Hongwu characteristic is the use of an almost triangular profiled blossom which alternates with the full-face flower. This provides variation within the undulating scroll, which in turn accentuates the form of the vessel. The ceramic decorator of the late 14th century also frequently gave the flower petals white tips. This could be a risky strategy with so volatile a medium as underglaze copper red, but on this vase, where the control of the copper red has been successful, it lightens the appearance of the flower head and provides an effective contrast with the deep red of the rest of the petals. This vase combines the pleasing proportions of its well-potted form with skilful decoration in successfully-fired underglaze copper red to create a vessel with visual impact commensurate with its rarity. (1) Illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 34, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 212, no. 197. (2) Illustrated in Rosemary E. Scott (ed.), Chinese Copper Red Wares, Monograph Series No. 3, Percival David Foundation, London, 1992, plate 2. (3) Ibid., plates 3 and 4. (4) Rosemary Scott & Rose Kerr, 'Copper Red and Kingfisher Green Porcelains: Song dynasty technological innovations in Guangxi Province', Oriental Art, Vol. XXXIX, No. 2, Summer 1993, pp. 25-33. (5) A bowl of this type from the collection of the Shanghai Museum is illustrated by Zhu Boqian in Celadons from Longquan Kilns, Taipei, 1998, p. 239, no. 222. (6) A fine example is in the collection of Mr. C.P. Lin. It is illustrated by Rosemary Scott in Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration: Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, London, 1992, No. 17. (7) Illustrated by Zhu Yuping in Yuandai qinghua ci, Shanghai, 2000, pp. 252-3, no. 9-6. (8) For an example in the Percival David Foundation, see Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration: Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain op. cit., No. 16. (8) Christie's London, 6 June 1988, lot 150. (9) Wang Qingzheng (ed.), Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 64, no. 36. (10) Chang Foundation, Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain excavated at Jingdezhen, Taipei, 1996, pp. 84-5, no. 9. (11) Da ming hui dian, 'Gongbu' section, in a discussion of qiyong, chapter 201, 2715. (12) Nanjing Museum and the Art Gallery of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, A Legacy of the Ming: Ceramic Finds from the Site of the Ming Palace in Nanjing, Hong Kong, 1996, p. 35, nos. 7, 7.1, 8, 8.1-3. (13) Chang Foundation, op. cit., pp. 68-9, no. 1. (14) For a typical Yuan example see the red and white vase in the Percival David Foundation, detailed in reference note 6. (15) Sir John Addis, 'Hung Wu and Yung Lo White', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, Vol. 41, 1975-77, p. 51, plate 24b. (16) Illustrated by Rosemary Scott in Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration: Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, op. cit., p. 33, no. 19. (17) Chang Foundation, op. cit., pp. 70-1, no. 2. (18) Ibid., pp. 74-5, no. 4. This more complex lappet form can also be seen on the underglaze red Hongwu vase sold at Christie's Hong Kong in September 1992, lot 468. (19) Of the other two, one is in the collection of the Newark Museum, included in the Exhibition of Chinese Art from the Newark Museum, China Institute of America, New York, 1980, no. 20. The other, which was missing the upper part of its neck, was sold by Sotheby's Hong Kong in November 1990, lot 126. (21) This design also appeared on a similar vase sold at Christie's London in December 1995, lot 97 (22) See note 16. Two other such jars are known although neither has the same decoration within the cloud collar. One is in the Percival David Foundation, and the other was sold at Christie's London in June 1972, lot 156.

A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE COPPER-RED DECORATED PEAR-SHAPED VASE, YUHUCHUNPING

HONGWU PERIOD (1368-1398)

Details

A FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE COPPER-RED DECORATED PEAR-SHAPED VASE, YUHUCHUNPING
HONGWU PERIOD (1368-1398)
The vase is well potted with a pear-shaped body supported on a short foot rising to a slender neck flaring at the rim, boldly painted in a deep mushroom-pink tone with an undulating scroll bearing four peony blossoms alternating in profile and full-faced amidst broad pointed leaves, all between a band of pendent trefoils around the shoulders and upright petal lappets around the foot. The neck is further painted with upright plantain leaves above a keyfret chain and a classic scroll. The inner mouth rim is adorned with a band of classic scroll.
12 5/8 in. (32 cm.) high

Provenance

A prominent South American estate
Sold at Sotheby's New York, 31 March-1 April 2005, lot 102

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