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Lot Essay
This Dehua vase is unusual for its large size, as well as the carved decoration. Slender, sleeve vases produced in the 17th century at the Dehua kilns tend to be smaller in size, with incised floral decoration, such as an example from the Gulexuan Collection illustrated by R. Krahl with C. von Spee in Chinese Ceramics from the Gulexuan Collection, Dusseldorf, 2003, p. 105, no. 73.
The boldly presented decoration of on the present vase is extremely rare. One side is strongly carved with a leafy peony plant emerging from rocks, with another flowering plant, possibly a hibiscus, decorating the opposite side. It is interesting to note its similarity to a large and rare wucai vase, Shunzhi period, circa 1645-1655, from the Collection of Julia and John Curtis, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3547. (Fig. 1) The Curtis vase, also very unusual for its size (47.2 cm.) is decorated with similar flowering branches emerging from rocks to the present vase. While flower and rock devices were standard depictions in Chinese decorative arts, it is interesting to note the similarities of these two designs, from two different kiln sites (Dehua and Jingdezhen). There were illustrated books of woodprint designs that would have been available to artisans at both kiln sites in the mid-17th century, however Jingdezhen would have had access to a greater range of illustrations, being closer to one of the main areas of printing. Such prints would have also been available to patrons from other areas in China, who could have requested decorations based on illustrations to which they had access.
The boldly presented decoration of on the present vase is extremely rare. One side is strongly carved with a leafy peony plant emerging from rocks, with another flowering plant, possibly a hibiscus, decorating the opposite side. It is interesting to note its similarity to a large and rare wucai vase, Shunzhi period, circa 1645-1655, from the Collection of Julia and John Curtis, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3547. (Fig. 1) The Curtis vase, also very unusual for its size (47.2 cm.) is decorated with similar flowering branches emerging from rocks to the present vase. While flower and rock devices were standard depictions in Chinese decorative arts, it is interesting to note the similarities of these two designs, from two different kiln sites (Dehua and Jingdezhen). There were illustrated books of woodprint designs that would have been available to artisans at both kiln sites in the mid-17th century, however Jingdezhen would have had access to a greater range of illustrations, being closer to one of the main areas of printing. Such prints would have also been available to patrons from other areas in China, who could have requested decorations based on illustrations to which they had access.