Lot 108
  • 108

A PEACHBLOOM-GLAZED WASHER MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI |

Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 HKD
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Description

  • 11.8 cm, 4 5/8  in.
with low rounded sides incurved at the mouth and supported on a low tapering foot, the exterior covered with an attractive mottled peachbloom glaze, the interior and base left white, the latter inscribed with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue, wood stand

Condition

There is an approx. 3.8 cm hairline crack to the rim with an associated 3 by 0.5 cm area of overpaint. There is wear to the interior and an insignificant minute glaze flake/bruise to the exterior.
"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."

Catalogue Note

The peachbloom glaze was notoriously difficult to achieve. To manage the fugitive copper-lime pigment, it is believed to have been sprayed onto a layer of transparent glaze and then fixed with another layer, so as to be sandwiched between two layers of clear glaze. The technique marks one of the great ceramic innovations of the Kangxi period, but probably due to this demanding process, it remained in use for only a short time and was never revived again at a later stage.

A comparable peachbloom washer in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 19; another is published in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 208.