YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)

The prominent themes of archaism and imitation in Chinese art reached their pinnacle during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), fueled by the Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) emperors, all of whom were renowned collectors of antiques. The design of this dish is based on fifteenth century Yongle prototypes, which were highly admired in the Qing court. Examples of Yongle 'melon' dishes include an example in the Ardebil Shrine, illustrated by J. A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1956, pl. 40, no. 29.61, and an example from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, illustrated in the Catalogue of the Hong Kong O.C.S. exhibition of Jingdezhen ware, the Yuan Evolution, 1984, no. 142. While the decoration on Yongle examples show a vine rooted to the ground bearing two melons, Yongzheng examples feature a design of a scrolling vine usually bearing seven melons, as is seen on the present dish.

For Yongzheng examples, compare a dish of almost the same size, illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Part 1, Hong Kong, 1987, col. pl. 53. Other similar examples include one illustrated by Liu Liang-yu in A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, Ching official and Popular Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 95 (top); another in Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing, The Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1990, no. 125; and an example from the Jingguantang collection sold at Christie’s New York, 26 March 2003, lot 262.