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Lot Essay
Innovative Elegance – A Large and Rare Qianlong Celadon-glazed Vase
Rosemary Scott, Independent Scholar
This vase is of unusually large size and particularly rare form. Its relief decoration is meticulously rendered and its glaze typifies the richer celadon tones applied to certain imperial porcelains of the Qianlong reign. The glaze has achieved just the right level of viscosity and translucence to provide clear deep colour where it is thicker and paler highlighting tones where it is thinner on the low relief areas of the design.
One of the unusual features of the form of this vase is the elegant pendant ruyi band around the mouth of the vessel. This rare treatment of the mouth would have required great skill on the part of the potter, since the hanging ruyi would have been unsupported during firing – and, thus, at risk of distortion. Such turned-down ruyi mouths appear to have been an innovation on Qianlong imperial porcelain. It is possible that they ultimately derive from the vases with lobed turned-down mouths made in the 12th and 13th centuries. These latter vases were made at the Jun kilns and the Cizhou kilns, as well as being found amongst qingbai porcelains from the Jingdezhen kilns (see R. Kerr, Song Ceramics, London, 2004, p. 32, no. 22; T. Mikami, Sekai Toji Zenshu 13 Liao Jin Yuan, Tokyo, 1981, pp. 110-11, no. 92; and S. Pierson (ed.), Qingbai Ware: Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, London, 2002, pp. 136-7, no. 71). The mouths of these vessels, however, were created by throwing a widely flaring mouth and then pushing down the rim at regular intervals, rather than creating a separate mouth flange.
There is a very limited number of early 15th century Ming dynasty blue and white vases which have wide, slightly down-turned petal-shaped rims, such as the small (19 cm high) Xuande vessel with lingzhi fungus sprays decorating its body, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Hsüan-tê Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, pp. 80-1, no. 13 (Fig. 1). Like the Qianlong vases, this Xuande vase has a distinct, visible, junction at the upper edge of the neck and the beginning of the turned-down mouth, which may provide a clue to the making process.
There is another form that may be of interest in considering the shape of the current vase. This is the Buddhist longevity vase bumpa, which is usually found in metal, but was also copied in porcelain (decorated to resemble metal) in the Qianlong reign. An original metal example from the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the 2005 exhibition China – The Three Emperors 1662-1795 held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibit no. 57. A Qianlong porcelain version of the form, simulating pewter with gilding and jewels, from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, was included in the same exhibition, exhibit no. 56. These significantly smaller bumpa vases share with the current vase globular bodies and flaring feet, while at the top of the neck the mouth extends almost horizontally and then descends at a sharp angle. While neither of the bumpa vases has ruyi, the necks have petal decoration, which is seen around the lower part of several Qianlong porcelain vessels with turned-down mouths. The bumpa vases had their origins in Tibetan Buddhism and were predominantly used in Buddhist ritual to contain water. Documentary evidence also suggests that they were used to contain holy herbs or peacock feathers.
There are several features of the current vase form that suggest links with metalwork. The first of these is the application of finely-modelled masks on either side of the neck. These were clearly intended to be accompanied by suspended rings, in similar manner to those seen on a number of bronze vase forms. It is also noticeable that several of the surviving Qianlong porcelain vessels, including the current vase, have distinct junctions where the neck joins the body. This is often a sign that the form has taken inspiration from metal forms.
While surviving Qianlong vases with down-turned ruyi or lingzhi head mouths are rare – probably due to the difficulty of making them – a small number have been published. Another celadon-glazed example – albeit with a paler celadon glaze – is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. This vase is gu-shaped, and decorated with dragons amongst clouds. The lingzhi heads that form its mouth are individually larger than those on the current vase and descend less sharply (illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong - Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 461, no. 143) (Fig. 2).
Two blue and white vases with similar turned-down mouths decorated with lingzhi fungus and dragons have been published; one from the collection of the National Palace Museum in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum: Blue-and-White Ware of the Ch'ing Dynasty II, Hong Kong, 1968, pp. 40-1, pl. 10; the other was sold by Christie’s London on 11 July, 2006, lot 142 (Fig. 3), while a further pair of blue and white Qianlong vases featuring turned-down mouths with lingzhi heads were sold by Christie’s London on 11 May, 2010, lot 217.
However, the most interesting vases which may be compared to the current vessel, are to be found amongst those imperial Qianlong porcelains decorated in overglaze enamels. A famille rose vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 39 - Porcelains with cloisonné enamel decoration and famille rose decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 137, no. 120 (Fig. 4), not only shares motifs around the neck and the foot, but is close in form to the current celadon vase, and has quite elaborately formed lingzhi head down-turned mouth decoration. Another close comparable without a down-turned mouth is a celadon-glazed vase from the J.M Hu, Zhande Lou Collection, carved with composite floral scrolls, flanked by two ruyi-shaped handles suspending ribbons at the neck, and bears a similar Qianlong mark on the base. This vase was previously exhibited at Shanghai Museum, Beijing Museum and Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Qing Imperial Monochromes: The Zande Lou Collection in 2005, and illustrated as the cover and pp. 120-121, no. 43 of the exhibition catalogue (Fig. 5).
Although at a height of 29.2 cm a famille rose vase with generous use of gold enamel in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace: special exhibition to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Palace Museum, Museu de Arte de Macau, 2006, p. 25, no. 52) (Fig. 6) is significantly smaller than the current vase, it is closer in proportions, since it shares the latter’s longer, slimmer neck. It also shares both motifs and aspects of scrolling with the celadon vessel. However, the vase with down-turned ruyi or lingzhi mouth, which is nearest in shape to the current vase, is a smaller (26.5 cm high) Qianlong vase with overglaze enamel decoration on a ruby ground, which is in the Baur Collection, Geneva (illustrated by John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, volume 2, Geneva, 1999, p. 132, no. 240) (Fig. 7). The Baur vase has a shorter neck and lacks the mask handles of the current vase, but the overall vessel form and the specific form of the pendant ruyi encircling the mouth are similar. The decoration on the Baur collection vase also shares certain floral scroll shapes and pendant chimes with the current vase. Both the pendant ruyi mouth form and the style of scrolling floral decoration continued to find favour amongst the finest enamelled porcelains made for the Jiaqing court. One of these with a yellow ground, formerly in the collection of the 1st Baron Margadale, was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in December 2010, lot 2981 (Fig. 8). The Margadale vase (28 cm high) is smaller than the current vase, and is of a compressed pear-shape, but the inspiration for its decoration is clear.
The current magnificent vase appears to be the largest published example of this rare form, and also displays the most sophisticated auspicious scrolling designs under a subtle celadon glaze of ideal clarity.
Rosemary Scott, Independent Scholar
This vase is of unusually large size and particularly rare form. Its relief decoration is meticulously rendered and its glaze typifies the richer celadon tones applied to certain imperial porcelains of the Qianlong reign. The glaze has achieved just the right level of viscosity and translucence to provide clear deep colour where it is thicker and paler highlighting tones where it is thinner on the low relief areas of the design.
One of the unusual features of the form of this vase is the elegant pendant ruyi band around the mouth of the vessel. This rare treatment of the mouth would have required great skill on the part of the potter, since the hanging ruyi would have been unsupported during firing – and, thus, at risk of distortion. Such turned-down ruyi mouths appear to have been an innovation on Qianlong imperial porcelain. It is possible that they ultimately derive from the vases with lobed turned-down mouths made in the 12th and 13th centuries. These latter vases were made at the Jun kilns and the Cizhou kilns, as well as being found amongst qingbai porcelains from the Jingdezhen kilns (see R. Kerr, Song Ceramics, London, 2004, p. 32, no. 22; T. Mikami, Sekai Toji Zenshu 13 Liao Jin Yuan, Tokyo, 1981, pp. 110-11, no. 92; and S. Pierson (ed.), Qingbai Ware: Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, London, 2002, pp. 136-7, no. 71). The mouths of these vessels, however, were created by throwing a widely flaring mouth and then pushing down the rim at regular intervals, rather than creating a separate mouth flange.
There is a very limited number of early 15th century Ming dynasty blue and white vases which have wide, slightly down-turned petal-shaped rims, such as the small (19 cm high) Xuande vessel with lingzhi fungus sprays decorating its body, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Hsüan-tê Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, pp. 80-1, no. 13 (Fig. 1). Like the Qianlong vases, this Xuande vase has a distinct, visible, junction at the upper edge of the neck and the beginning of the turned-down mouth, which may provide a clue to the making process.
There is another form that may be of interest in considering the shape of the current vase. This is the Buddhist longevity vase bumpa, which is usually found in metal, but was also copied in porcelain (decorated to resemble metal) in the Qianlong reign. An original metal example from the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the 2005 exhibition China – The Three Emperors 1662-1795 held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, exhibit no. 57. A Qianlong porcelain version of the form, simulating pewter with gilding and jewels, from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, was included in the same exhibition, exhibit no. 56. These significantly smaller bumpa vases share with the current vase globular bodies and flaring feet, while at the top of the neck the mouth extends almost horizontally and then descends at a sharp angle. While neither of the bumpa vases has ruyi, the necks have petal decoration, which is seen around the lower part of several Qianlong porcelain vessels with turned-down mouths. The bumpa vases had their origins in Tibetan Buddhism and were predominantly used in Buddhist ritual to contain water. Documentary evidence also suggests that they were used to contain holy herbs or peacock feathers.
There are several features of the current vase form that suggest links with metalwork. The first of these is the application of finely-modelled masks on either side of the neck. These were clearly intended to be accompanied by suspended rings, in similar manner to those seen on a number of bronze vase forms. It is also noticeable that several of the surviving Qianlong porcelain vessels, including the current vase, have distinct junctions where the neck joins the body. This is often a sign that the form has taken inspiration from metal forms.
While surviving Qianlong vases with down-turned ruyi or lingzhi head mouths are rare – probably due to the difficulty of making them – a small number have been published. Another celadon-glazed example – albeit with a paler celadon glaze – is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. This vase is gu-shaped, and decorated with dragons amongst clouds. The lingzhi heads that form its mouth are individually larger than those on the current vase and descend less sharply (illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong - Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 461, no. 143) (Fig. 2).
Two blue and white vases with similar turned-down mouths decorated with lingzhi fungus and dragons have been published; one from the collection of the National Palace Museum in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum: Blue-and-White Ware of the Ch'ing Dynasty II, Hong Kong, 1968, pp. 40-1, pl. 10; the other was sold by Christie’s London on 11 July, 2006, lot 142 (Fig. 3), while a further pair of blue and white Qianlong vases featuring turned-down mouths with lingzhi heads were sold by Christie’s London on 11 May, 2010, lot 217.
However, the most interesting vases which may be compared to the current vessel, are to be found amongst those imperial Qianlong porcelains decorated in overglaze enamels. A famille rose vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing, which is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 39 - Porcelains with cloisonné enamel decoration and famille rose decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 137, no. 120 (Fig. 4), not only shares motifs around the neck and the foot, but is close in form to the current celadon vase, and has quite elaborately formed lingzhi head down-turned mouth decoration. Another close comparable without a down-turned mouth is a celadon-glazed vase from the J.M Hu, Zhande Lou Collection, carved with composite floral scrolls, flanked by two ruyi-shaped handles suspending ribbons at the neck, and bears a similar Qianlong mark on the base. This vase was previously exhibited at Shanghai Museum, Beijing Museum and Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Qing Imperial Monochromes: The Zande Lou Collection in 2005, and illustrated as the cover and pp. 120-121, no. 43 of the exhibition catalogue (Fig. 5).
Although at a height of 29.2 cm a famille rose vase with generous use of gold enamel in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace: special exhibition to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Palace Museum, Museu de Arte de Macau, 2006, p. 25, no. 52) (Fig. 6) is significantly smaller than the current vase, it is closer in proportions, since it shares the latter’s longer, slimmer neck. It also shares both motifs and aspects of scrolling with the celadon vessel. However, the vase with down-turned ruyi or lingzhi mouth, which is nearest in shape to the current vase, is a smaller (26.5 cm high) Qianlong vase with overglaze enamel decoration on a ruby ground, which is in the Baur Collection, Geneva (illustrated by John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, volume 2, Geneva, 1999, p. 132, no. 240) (Fig. 7). The Baur vase has a shorter neck and lacks the mask handles of the current vase, but the overall vessel form and the specific form of the pendant ruyi encircling the mouth are similar. The decoration on the Baur collection vase also shares certain floral scroll shapes and pendant chimes with the current vase. Both the pendant ruyi mouth form and the style of scrolling floral decoration continued to find favour amongst the finest enamelled porcelains made for the Jiaqing court. One of these with a yellow ground, formerly in the collection of the 1st Baron Margadale, was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in December 2010, lot 2981 (Fig. 8). The Margadale vase (28 cm high) is smaller than the current vase, and is of a compressed pear-shape, but the inspiration for its decoration is clear.
The current magnificent vase appears to be the largest published example of this rare form, and also displays the most sophisticated auspicious scrolling designs under a subtle celadon glaze of ideal clarity.