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Lot Essay
This exquisite imperial blue-ground falangcai bowl is inscribed in ruby-red enamel on the base with a four-character mark reading Kangxi yuzhi (康熙御製), meaning “Made by Imperial Order of the Kangxi Emperor.” This mark signifies the highest level of imperial patronage and places the bowl among an extremely rare group of porcelains produced to the emperor’s exact specifications. While the body of the bowl was thrown and fired at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, its decoration was not completed locally, but in Beijing. There, the undecorated white porcelain was delivered to the inner court ateliers of the Forbidden City—specifically, to the imperial falang (enamel) workshop founded under Kangxi’s direct supervision.
The introduction of European enamel techniques into the Qing court took place in the 1680s, and by 1693, the Kangxi Emperor had established fourteen new technical workshops within the Forbidden City, including a dedicated falang workshop. The placement of such experimental workshops within the heart of the palace—close to the emperor’s own residence—was a remarkable decision, reflecting Kangxi’s personal fascination with scientific innovation, technical refinement, and cross-cultural exchange. This ambition was not without risk. The heat, fire hazards, and odors associated with enamel work posed practical dangers, while the presence of European missionaries working as artisans in these workshops introduced subtle political and ideological tensions within the imperial household.
The production of falangcai porcelains during the Kangxi reign was relatively brief and highly exclusive. Each vessel was individually designed and hand-painted, with enamels mixed in small batches, resulting in unparalleled delicacy and precision. Although early works display a degree of experimentation, a recognizable style soon emerged: stylized floral compositions, often featuring large, fanciful blossoms rendered on lustrous monochrome grounds—typically yellow, blue, or coral. The present bowl, with its rich sapphire-blue enamel ground and bold peony blossoms, exemplifies this refined visual design.
The choice of the peony as the central motif is deeply symbolic. Though ethnically Manchu, the Kangxi Emperor was deeply immersed in Chinese literati culture and was a keen patron of Neo-Confucian learning. The peony (mudan)—long regarded in Chinese culture as the 'king of flowers' (huawang)—is traditionally associated with imperial opulence, honor, and prosperity. Known also as fuguihua (flower of wealth and rank), the peony had been grown in imperial gardens since the Sui and Tang dynasties. Thus, its presence on this imperially commissioned bowl may be interpreted as a visual expression of Kangxi’s aspirations for dynastic stability and flourishing rule—an artistic articulation of huang’en haodang (皇恩浩蕩) and jiaguo xingsheng (家國興盛): boundless imperial benevolence and the thriving of state and family.
Surviving examples of Kangxi yuzhi blue-ground falangcai wares are exceedingly rare. It is noteworthy that all bowls of this type share similar decorative schemes: four large, stylized peony blossoms encircling the exterior of the bowl, with the Kangxi yuzhi mark inscribed in ruby-red enamel within a double square. A related bowl, decorated with golden floral tendrils, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai yuyao ciqi, Beijing, 2005, vol. 1, part 1, pp. 244–5, no. 82. Another example, in the Shanghai Museum, decorated with each of the four peonies inscribed with the characters wan shou chang chun (萬壽長春, “Ten Thousand Years of Longevity and Perpetual Springtime”), is illustrated by Qian Zhenzong in Qingdai ciqi jianshang, Taipei, 1994, p. 55, no. 50. A closely related bowl of similar design was sold at Sotheby’s London, 6 July 1976, lot 172.
The introduction of European enamel techniques into the Qing court took place in the 1680s, and by 1693, the Kangxi Emperor had established fourteen new technical workshops within the Forbidden City, including a dedicated falang workshop. The placement of such experimental workshops within the heart of the palace—close to the emperor’s own residence—was a remarkable decision, reflecting Kangxi’s personal fascination with scientific innovation, technical refinement, and cross-cultural exchange. This ambition was not without risk. The heat, fire hazards, and odors associated with enamel work posed practical dangers, while the presence of European missionaries working as artisans in these workshops introduced subtle political and ideological tensions within the imperial household.
The production of falangcai porcelains during the Kangxi reign was relatively brief and highly exclusive. Each vessel was individually designed and hand-painted, with enamels mixed in small batches, resulting in unparalleled delicacy and precision. Although early works display a degree of experimentation, a recognizable style soon emerged: stylized floral compositions, often featuring large, fanciful blossoms rendered on lustrous monochrome grounds—typically yellow, blue, or coral. The present bowl, with its rich sapphire-blue enamel ground and bold peony blossoms, exemplifies this refined visual design.
The choice of the peony as the central motif is deeply symbolic. Though ethnically Manchu, the Kangxi Emperor was deeply immersed in Chinese literati culture and was a keen patron of Neo-Confucian learning. The peony (mudan)—long regarded in Chinese culture as the 'king of flowers' (huawang)—is traditionally associated with imperial opulence, honor, and prosperity. Known also as fuguihua (flower of wealth and rank), the peony had been grown in imperial gardens since the Sui and Tang dynasties. Thus, its presence on this imperially commissioned bowl may be interpreted as a visual expression of Kangxi’s aspirations for dynastic stability and flourishing rule—an artistic articulation of huang’en haodang (皇恩浩蕩) and jiaguo xingsheng (家國興盛): boundless imperial benevolence and the thriving of state and family.
Surviving examples of Kangxi yuzhi blue-ground falangcai wares are exceedingly rare. It is noteworthy that all bowls of this type share similar decorative schemes: four large, stylized peony blossoms encircling the exterior of the bowl, with the Kangxi yuzhi mark inscribed in ruby-red enamel within a double square. A related bowl, decorated with golden floral tendrils, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai yuyao ciqi, Beijing, 2005, vol. 1, part 1, pp. 244–5, no. 82. Another example, in the Shanghai Museum, decorated with each of the four peonies inscribed with the characters wan shou chang chun (萬壽長春, “Ten Thousand Years of Longevity and Perpetual Springtime”), is illustrated by Qian Zhenzong in Qingdai ciqi jianshang, Taipei, 1994, p. 55, no. 50. A closely related bowl of similar design was sold at Sotheby’s London, 6 July 1976, lot 172.