IMPERIAL CHINESE PORCELAIN TAKES CENTRE STAGE
AT ESKENAZI
This November will be
the first time that Eskenazi has staged an exhibition solely devoted to Qing
porcelain. Simply
entitled Qing porcelain
from a private collection, it comprises twenty superb imperial pieces
which will be on show at Eskenazi Ltd., 10 Clifford Street, London
W1 from Thursday 1 to Friday 23 November 2012.
>From a collection assembled in Europe in the
1980s and 1990s, the pieces are not only the finest examples of their types but
also have impeccable provenances, from such famous collections as J.M. Hu, T.Y.
Chao and Paul and Helen Bernat. Dating predominantly from the reigns of
the three most important Qing emperors – Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng
(1723-1735) and Qianlong (1736-1795) – these imperial works epitomise
Chinese taste and have always been highly prized.
The early to mid-Qing
period saw a renaissance in ceramic technology coupled with imperial
supervision of the kilns at Jingdezhen.
Alongside the technical advances made in the Yongzheng and early Qianlong
periods, and equally important, was the interest of both emperors in
antiquity. Indeed, from the time of the Manchu conquest of China and the
founding of the Qing dynasty in 1644, the emperors promoted themselves as
‘guardians of the past’, having inherited from their Ming
predecessors the vast palace art collection amassed over a period of 1,600
years.
The object that most
embodies the aesthetic and technical achievements of the mid-Qing period is the
famille rose pear-shaped vase
with imperial Qianlong mark. Only 22 cm high, it is finely painted with
lotus blooms and scrolling leafy vines with buds and flowers. The
striking combination of pinks, greens, blues, yellows and white is set against
a rich ruby sgraffito
ground. This bravura piece was undoubtedly made for the emperor himself
and not as a gift. Such elaborately decorated famille rose vessels were produced under the direction of
Tang Ying, the Qianlong emperor’s celebrated supervisor at Jingdezhen, and their
manufacture was a laborious process typically needing at least eight separate
steps including three firings.
Of the greatest rarity
is a chrysanthemum-form teapot, Yongzheng mark and period, its copper-red and
blue glaze paying homage to the purple-splashed Jun wares of the Song and early
Ming periods. The chrysanthemum, symbol of autumn and the ninth lunar
month in China,
represents longevity and was a favoured motif during the Qing period.
There appear to be, however, only two other published Jun-type teapots of this
form, one in the Palace Museum, and the other in the National Museum of
China, both in Beijing.
The Yongzheng emperor was especially fond of Jun wares and encouraged the
‘revival’ of Jun glazes. Records show that he oversaw every
stage of the production of such prized ceramic pieces as this teapot, even down
to specifying the glaze.
The chrysanthemum was also
the inspiration for the shape and decoration of a pair of famille rose dishes, bearing Yongzheng
marks and of the period. Each dish is delicately painted with blooms of
this flower picked out in pink, green, yellow, white and blue enamels, the
stems in tones of grey-green and yellow-brown, and the leaves and buds in
shades of green.
Made under the same
emperor is a rare pair of waterpots, painted in a different palette known as doucai, first developed in the 15th
century and prized by the early Qing emperors for that reason. The design
is of layered, swirling clouds in underglaze blue filled with yellow,
aubergine, green and red enamels and, like the shape of the vessels, is very
much of its own time.
A pair of underglaze
blue and pink enamelled porcelain ewers with gilded edges, bearing Qianlong
marks and of the period, 1736-1795, were inspired by Tibetan Buddhist ritual
metal vessels. While the Qianlong emperor showed interest in all the
major religions in China
during his lengthy reign, he was a devotee of Buddhism, particularly as
practised in Tibet.
The body of each vessel is beautifully painted with lotus blooms in a very
unusual and striking combination of puce pink and underglaze blue, the sinuous
spouts issuing from the jaws of a pink enamelled makara, the protective fish-dragon. The lotus and makara have Buddhist connotations, the
former a symbol of the purity of the re-born soul and the latter representing
the water-giving element.
An underglaze blue
porcelain double gourd vase, also Qianlong mark and period, makes reference to
Daoism, its shape indelibly associated with the Immortal, Li Tieguai, who
carried the elixir of immortality in a double gourd hanging from his
belt. The elongated waisted form of this particular vase, with its
exaggerated ear-shaped handles, is specific to the Qianlong period and very
rare in blue and white. Another great rarity is a flask, Qianlong
mark and period, decorated on each side in iron-red enamels with a rampant,
five-clawed dragon chasing a flaming pearl among underglaze blue clouds and
waves. The dragons are painted with such precision and detail that they
almost spring off the vessel.
Almost none of these
choice Chinese porcelains have been seen in public in the past twenty years or
more and so the exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to view at close
hand great works of art that would add lustre to any museum collection.
Although intended for use in the confines of the Chinese court, or even
specifically for the emperor himself, they have always held enormous appeal for
those outside such august society. They were, and continue to be,
treasured worldwide.
The exhibition will
coincide with the 15th Asian Art in London, 1
to 10 November 2012, an annual event that unites London’s Asian art
dealers, major auction houses and societies in a series of selling exhibitions,
auctions, receptions, lectures and seminars attracting visitors from around the
globe.
Notes
to Editors
Eskenazi’s
exhibitions are always eagerly awaited for the beauty and rarity of the objects
offered and this exquisite Qing porcelain is no exception. Since the
family business was founded in Milan
in 1925, the Eskenazi name has become synonymous with expertise in oriental
art. Giuseppe Eskenazi, who has been head of the business for over 40
years, has an unrivalled reputation for his knowledge and love of the subject
and clients have included over seventy of the world’s major museums as
well as private collectors.
For
further information, a Chinese translation, and images, please contact:
Sue Bond Public Relations
Tel. +44 (0)1359
271085, Fax. +44 (0)1359 271934
E-mail. info@suebond.co.uk, www.suebond.co.uk