Vase en porcelaine à décor rouge de cuivre, Yuhuchunping Chine, dynastie Ming, époque Hongwu (1368-1398)

le corps en forme de poire finement peint en rouge de cuivre sous couverte de pivoines dans des rinceaux feuillagés sous une frise de têtes de ruyi stylisées, le pied souligné d'une frise de grecques sous des pétales stylisés, le col décoré d'une bande d'entrelacs et de feuilles de bananier séparées par une frise de grecques ; le col coupé, restaurations

The neck reduced ; the vase has been broken in several pieces (mainly around the luting joint and along old cracks) and restored by a professional restorer.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Finely painted with a rhythmic peony scroll and bands of stylised motifs, the present piece is a rare example of 14^th century copper-red decorated porcelain. Copper as a colouring agent is particularly unstable in the firing process, thus it carries a high possibility of becoming runny and leaving indistinct outlines or resulting in weak shades of red and pale grey tones. The strong copper tones and clearly pencilled lines set this vase apart as a highly successful and skilfully manufactured piece.

This vase is particularly rare for the combination of a key fret band at the foot and curling stems encircling the neck. A related example, but with a classic scroll adorning the foot, was sold in our London rooms, 21^st November 1961, lot 24; and another, but with a band of an undulating stem at the neck, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2^nd May 1995, lot 14.

Compare also vases decorated with various bands of decoration on the neck and foot, such as two in the Qing Court collection, and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. 1, Shanghai, 2000, pls 196 and 197; another in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World's Great Collections, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 112; one from the collection of Sir Harry Garner and sold in our London rooms, 21^st November 1961, lot 24; and four bottles of this type published in Mayuyama: Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, pls 721-24. See also a vase of this type sold three times at auction and most recently at Christie's Hong Kong, 30^th May 2006, lot 1248.

Very little underglaze-red decorated Hongwu porcelain appears to have been excavated from the imperial Kiln sites at Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. However, the peony scroll, key fret and petal panel borders are all found on copper-red bowls attributed to the Hongwu period, excavated from the Zhushan site in Jingdezhen and included in the exhibition Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, cat. nos 7-10.