A VERY RARE MING-STYLE BLUE AND WHITE ' FLORAL SCROLL' MOONFLASK SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of globular form, the flattened body of oval section surmounted by a narrow cylindrical neck with two silkworm-like handles ending in 'S'-scrolls terminals, superbly painted on each side with an all-over pattern of composite floral scroll, the neck decorated with a formal scroll pattern incorporating pomegranates and peaches below a 'classic' scroll band around the lip, divided by double-line borders, the handles decorated with chrysanthemum scroll, all in deep underglaze-blue with contrived 'heaping and piling', the base inscribed with a six-character seal mark

Christie’s London, 6^th October 1980, lot 229.
Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 20^th May 1981, lot 758.

Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Twenty Years, 1973-1993, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 175.

There is some fritting to the surface glaze at the bottom tips of the handles, more pronounced on one handle (partly showing at the bottom of the left handle on the catalogue photo). There are two thin hairlines in the glaze on the interior of the mouthrim, with the longest measuring approx. 3 cm. There is a approx. 1.5 by 0.5 cm iron spot to one side of the body. The biscuit footrim has a few firing lines. The vase is otherwise in overall good condition. The tone of the cobalt blue is deep, although slightly less dense compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

This moonflask assumes an immediate sense of familiarity through its rich and finely rendered design and form, both of which are steeped in the celebrated traditions of the early Ming dynasty. However it is unusual for its combination of elements and only one other closely related example, but of smaller size, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, appears to have been published, illustrated in Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Porcelains from the Qing dynasty imperial kilns in the Palace Museum collection], vol. 1, pt. II, Beijing, 2005, pl. 41. An unmarked example attributed to the Yongzheng period, of slightly smaller dimensions, was sold in our London rooms, 16^th June 1998, lot 251. It is more common to find moonflasks of this type decorated with upright stiff leaves on the neck; see one in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, included in the museum’s exhibition Memorial Exhibition of Eastern Ceramics and Other Works of Art from the Collection of Gerald Reitlinger, 1981, cat. no. 122; one from the collection of Ira and Nancy Koger, sold in our New York rooms, 27^th November 1990, lot 20; and two sold in our London rooms, one from the Riesco collection, 11^th December 1984, lot 407, and the other, 6^th July 1976, lot 204.

 

The Yongzheng emperor sought to see celebrated past masterpieces replicated as a reminder of the nation’s glorious past. Official stonewares of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and blue-and-white porcelain of the Ming period from the Imperial collection became models that provided the standard for the Jingdezhen potters to aspire to. These later pieces generally were not straight copies; rather the form and design of the original were reinterpreted to suit contemporary taste under the supervision of Jingdezhen’s most celebrated superintendent, Tang Ying (1682-1756). From the age of sixteen, Tang started his career working at the Zaobanchu (Imperial Household Workshops) and during Kangxi’s reign he served in the Yangxin Dian (Hall of Mental Cultivation) where he learned painting, poetry, calligraphy, prose, drama and other forms of scholarly arts. This exposure to the art collection of the imperial collection formed the foundation on which he would draw inspiration for his designs throughout his long and illustrious career.

 

The present lot has been inspired by a Yongle prototype such as that found in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Blue and White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, bk. 1, Hong Kong, 1963, pl. 4. This moonflask carefully follows the general form and composition of the Ming original with the mixed flower scroll on the body and further flower scrolls on the neck and handles. The craftsman has also attempted to imitate the mottled ‘heaping and piling’ effect characteristic of early 15^th century blue and white wares through a deliberate application of darker spots to the design. In a display of his proficiency in the cobalt blue medium, the re-creation is particularly subtle and close to 15^th century wares.

 

Through slight adjustments to the form and design the present Yongzheng moonflask has been given a fresh aesthetic suited to the emperor’s taste. The neck is slimmer in relation to the body, the handles terminate with scrolls, and the short foot of the Yongle original has been replaced with no foot to endow the piece with a more streamlined appearance. Furthermore, there is an added density and attention to detail to the decoration of this moonflask which reveals the careful arrangement of elements in relation to the form, while the lotus scrolls on the neck adds to its elegance that is characteristic of Yongzheng porcelains.