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Blue and white 'Boys' bowl, Ming dynasty, Chenghua period (1464-1487)

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Blue and white 'Boys' bowl, Ming dynasty, Chenghua period (1464-1487)

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Blue and white 'Boys' bowl, Ming dynasty, Chenghua period (1464-1487). Diameter: 21.9 centimetres, Height: 10.5 centimetres. British Museum, Donated by: A W Roberts (In memory of A. D. Brankston), 1953,0416.2 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Porcelain bowl with underglaze blue decoration. This deep bowl is finely potted with rounded sides and a low foot ring. It is exquisitely painted in blurred tones of bright cobalt blue beneath a yellow-tinged glaze characteristic of Chenghua period porcelains. Inside it is plain except for a double blue line edging the rim. Outside there are scenes of children playing in a garden. One boy, dressed in a three-quarter-length robe with leaf sprays, probably representing cassia, in his hair, rides a hobby horse. He is attended by another two boys wearing babies' bibs, one holding a lotus leaf like a parasol, the other a fly whisk. In the next group a child holds a brush-pen in one hand and a cassia spray in the other. He is flanked by further children sitting cross-legged and behind a boy wearing split pants points to the sky. In another scene a child is watering an object which appears to be a mandala or residence for the Buddha; he is attended by two boys who have abandoned their symbols and bells on the ground and two others, dressed in split pants and baby clothes, approach. Beyond the garden fence are mountain peaks and a lotus pond. In another scene four children are shown surrounding a large fish bowl. One child dressed in split pants holds a fish in his left hand, another points away and two others have their hands in the water grappling for more fish. The base is glazed but not marked.

This bowl may be dated by stylistic comparison to a smaller bowl with an everted lip painted in underglaze blue wlth sixteen children playing in a garden and with a Chenghua mark which was excavated at the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. The subdued blue tones and yellow-tinged glaze are typical of the porcelain of the Chenghua era. These illustrations of children playing relate to images of 'One Hundred Children' which appear on a range of decorative objects -ceramics, lacquer wares and jades - as well as in paintings. In Confucian philosophy, many children, but particularly many sons, were essential for the fulfilment of family and ancestral duties, rites and ceremonies. Illustrations of 'One Hundred Children' represent a desire for fertility, wealth and happiness. The Chenghua emperor, Zhu Jianshen (1447-87), who ascended the throne at eighteen years of age, was certainly preoccupied with his lack of sons. His favourite consort, Lady Wan Guifei, was seventeen years his senior. Having lost her own child, she ensured that no other woman in the palace gave birth to an heir by sending a eunuch to administer poison to the pregnant consorts. Finally Lady Qi, a woman of Yao origin, managed to protect her son. He was hidden until he had reached the age of five and he then survived to succeed to the throne as the Hongzhi emperor. 


Bowl with boys playing, Ming dynasty, Tianshun to Chenghua period, AD1457–87

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Bowl with boys playing, Ming dynasty, Tianshun to Chenghua period, AD1457–87

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Bowl with boys playing, Ming dynasty, Tianshun to Chenghua period, AD1457–87, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration. Height: 122 millimetres, Diameter: 224 millimetres. Sir Percival David Foundation of Art, PDF 600© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Deep porcelain bowl. Underglaze blue with primary scene of the Hundred Boys, featuring 20 boys variously playing. Band of ruyi-shaped clouds just below the rim, and squared spirals around the foot. 

Chinese people regard genre scenes of children playing as auspicious, representing a wish for many sons.

Boucheron Hiver Impérial high jewellery

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Flocon Impérial. Necklace set with a 5,20 ct E VVS1 cushion diamond and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

Lumière de Nuit. Boucheron finds the mysterious side of nature in the polar night. Untamed, majestic, powerful – it is no match for humans. The Lumière de Nuit chapter captures this force in a huge snowflake, cascading spinels and a pack of Animaux des Neiges (Snow Animals).

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – FloconPendant set with a 0,75 ct E VVS2 round diamond and mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

 

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Flocon. Ring set with a 0,70 ct D VVS2 round diamond and mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Perles givrées. Earrings set with cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Boule de Neige. Ring set with a rock crystal dome filled with diamonds, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – GivreRing set with a 5,01 ct E VVS1 round diamond and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on whitegoldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Feuille. Brooch set with a 0,55 ct oval diamond, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Branche. Brooch set with ebene wood, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Grand NordNecklace set with a 8,06 ct E VVS2 emerald-cut diamond, onyx and black lacquer, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial  – Grand NordBracelet set with black spinels, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Grand NordRing set with rock crystal filled with black spinels, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – LiseretRing set with a 6,03 ct D VVS2 emerald-cut diamond and black lacquer, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Boule. Ring set with a 6,03 ct D VVS2 emerald-cut diamond and black lacquer, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – BouleRing set with frosted quartz, paved with diamonds, on white gold and titaniumPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Laika, le HuskyRing set with a 31,21 ct burmese light greyish-blue antique cushion sapphire, grey spinels and sapphires, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Foxy, la RenardeRing set with a 7,28 ct green pear tourmaline and emeralds, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Oulu, la ChouetteRing set with yellow sapphires and black lacquer, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Ladoga, le Raton LaveurRing set with black sapphires and wood, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

Femmes Boréales. Femmes Boréales harks back to the traditional dress and imperial jewelry sets lavishly embellished with pearls, diamonds and precious stones, that have been given modern flair for contemporary queens.

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Baikal. Necklace set with a 78,33 ct Santa Maria oval aquamarine, moonstones and cultured pearls, paved with diamonds and aquamarines, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Baikal. Ring set with a 24,87 ct Santa Maria pear aquamarine and cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – BaikalEarrings set with one 12,08 ct Santa Maria pear aquamarine and one 11,74 ct Santa Maria pear aquamarine and cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – BanquiseRing set with a 5,33 ct F VVS1 oval diamond and cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – JoyaRing set with a 19,92 ct Ceylon sugar-loaf cabochon sapphire and diamonds, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – NevestaNecklace set with a 9,29 ct D VVS2 pear diamond, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Diamant ImpérialRing set with a 3,55 ct E VVS2 pear diamond, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial  – Emeraude ImpérialeRing set with a 10,54 ct Zambian antique cushion emerald, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Pompon. Necklace set with Akoya cultured pearls and mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

 

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial  – PomponEarrings set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – NoeudNecklace set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – NoeudRing set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – NoeudBrooch set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Lumière de NacreNecklace set with mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Lumière de NacreBracelet set with mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial  – Lumière de NacreRing set with mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Perles AustralesBracelet set with natural pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Perle ImpérialeRing set with a 17 mm round South Sea cultured pearl, paved with diamonds and freshwater cultured pearls, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Nuit EtoiléeBracelet set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Nuit EtoiléeEarrings set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

 

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Nuit EtoiléeRing set with Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

L’Anneau d’Or (The Golden Ring) is an ode to the imperial cities of Russia where the rooftops, cupolas and onion domes transform into a kaleidoscope of medallions. Boucheron also takes design elements from the Slavic Naryshkin Baroque architectural style of North-East Moscow, as seen in ultra-graphic necklaces, rings and earrings in colors inspired by the northern light on a winter’s day and the crystal-clear night.

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – RostovNecklace set with a 4,14 ct E VVS2 round diamond and aspen wood, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Necklace in the tradition of the multiwear. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – RostovEarrings set with aspen wood, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – RostovRing set with a 2,55 ct E VVS2 round diamond and aspen wood, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

 

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – YaroslovNecklace set with a 4,60 ct E VVS2 cushion diamond and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Yaroslov. Earrings set with a 2,11 ct F VVS2 cushion diamond and a 2,09 ct F VVS2 cushion diamond, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Marqueterie. Ring set with blue chalcedonies and mother-of-pearl, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Marqueterie. Necklace set with grey buff top moonstones and buff top onyx, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Marqueterie. Necklace set with grey buff top moonstones and buff top onyx, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Marqueterie. Bracelet set with grey buff top moonstones and buff top onyx, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Caviar. Ring set with a 0,61 ct D VVS2 round diamond and onyx, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Kokochnik. Necklace set with a 7,54 ct Burmese Royal Blue cushion sapphire and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Kokochnik. Ring set with a 10,98 ct Burmese oval sapphire and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial - Pompon Kokochnik. Necklace set with diamonds, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Necklace in the traditon of the multiwear. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Dôme Graphique. Ring set with a 5,02 ct F VVS1 pear diamond and rock crystal, paved with diamonds, on white goldPhoto: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Dôme Graphique. Earrings set with a 3,25 ct pear tanzanite and a 3,27 ct pear tanzanite, blue chalcedonies and Akoya cultured pearls, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

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Boucheron Hiver Impérial – Dôme Graphique. Ring set with a 12,41 ct pear tanzanite, Akoya cultured pearls and a blue chalcedony, paved with diamonds, on white gold. Photo: Courtesy of Boucheron

A fine and very rare blue and white 'dragon' bowl mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521)

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A fine and very rare blue and white 'dragon' bowl mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521)

Lot 204. A fine and very rare blue and white 'dragon' bowl, Mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521), 20.3 cm., 8 in. Estimate 4,500,000 — 6,000,000 HKD. Lot sold 6,280,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's

finely potted with deep rounded sides gently outcurving at the flared rim, painted in soft underglaze blue tones outlined by precise darker penciling, the interior with a medallion enclosing a scaly five-clawed dragon leaping amidst scrolling lotus, repeated as a frieze around the well with a pair of  long-bodied striding dragons and around the exterior, all supported on a short straight foot encircled with a ruyi-head band, the base with a four-character mark within a double circle.

ProvenanceThe Su Lin An Collection. 
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 31st October 1995, lot 319.

BibliographySotheby's Thirty Years in Hong Kong: 1973-2003, Hong Kong, 2003, no. 253.  

Note: This dragon and lotus design, which goes back to older models was one of the favourite designs of the Zhengde Emperor. It can be found on dishes, stembowls and spitoons of the period but are rare on bowls. An almost identical bowl in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku, vol. II, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 91; and a much smaller bowl of this form and design, excavated from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kilns at Jingdezhen was included in the exhibition Imperial Porcelain: Recent Discoveries of  Jingdezhen Ware, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1995, cat.no. 172.

Blue-and-white Zhengde wares, the exterior boldly painted with similar dragon and lotus design but the interior decorated with a single dragon leaping amid lotus within a double circle, were also made with the Zhengde reign mark written in the rare Tibetan Pagspa script.

For the inspiration of this bowl see a Xuande prototype illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku, vol.I, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 67.   

Sotheby's. A Quest for Perfection - Important Chinese Porcelain from a Distinguished Asian Family Hong Kong, 23 oct. 2005

A fine and very rare large blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde mark within and period (1506-1521)

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A fine and very rare large blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde four-character mark within double circles and of the period (1506-1521)

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Lot 3117. A fine and very rare large blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde four-character mark within double circles and of the period (1506-1521),  9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 6,000,000 - HKD 9,000,000Price realised HKD 7,840,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013 

The bowl is delicately potted with rounded sides rising to a slightly flared rim supported on a cylindrical foot. The exterior is superbly painted in vivid blue tones with two striding five-clawed dragons amidst a leafy meandering lotus scroll. The pattern is repeated on the well of the interior, enclosing a central medallion with a leaping five-clawed dragon amongst a scrolling lotus. The foot is encircled with a band of ruyi heads.

ProvenanceBluett & Sons, London, 1937, purchased for 54 pounds
Raymond F.A. Riesco Collection, no. 168

LiteratureLondon Borough of Croydon, Riesco Collection of Chinese Ceramics Handlist, Croydon, 1987, p. 11, no. 94

ExhibitedOriental Ceramic Society, Ming Blue-and-White Porcelain, 24 October - 21 December, London, 1946, Catalogue, no. 56
Oriental Ceramic Society, Loan Exhibition of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain 14th to 19th Centuries, London, 16 December 1953 - 23 January 1954, Catalogue, no. 127
The Arts Council of Great Britain and Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, London, 15 November - 14 December 1957, Catalogue, no. 137
Oriental Ceramic Society, Ceramic Art of China, London, 9 June - 25 July, 1971, Catalogue no. 167

Note: The design of dragon and scrolling lotus appears to be much favoured by the Zhengde Emperor as it could be found on an array of porcelain wares produced during his reign, including dishes, stem bowls and zhadou, but very rarely on bowls such as the current example. Four bowls of almost identical design are known, including two in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, pls. 69 and 71; one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku, vol. II, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 91; and one smaller example formerly in the Su Lin An Collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 204. Another bowl in the Palace Museum bearing the same design on the exterior and interior medallion, but with a plain cavetto and the reign mark rendered in Phags-pa script, is illustrated op. cit., Hong Kong, pl. 70.

A fine and very rare blue and white 'dragon' bowl mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521)

A fine and very rare blue and white 'dragon' bowl mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521), 20.3 cm., 8 in. Sold 6,280,000 HKD at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 204. Photo: Sotheby's

A bowl of very similar design, but with deeper sides and of much smaller size was excavated from the Zhengde stratum at Zhushan in Jingdezhen and included in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka exhibition Imperial Porcelain: Recent Discoveries of Jingdezhen Ware, Osaka, 1995, Catalogue, no. 172. 

Three other bowls bearing this design, but with much deeper and straighter sides have been published. One is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in op. cit., Hong Kong, pl. 68; another is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Mingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2007, no. 3-77; and the last one is in the National Palace Museum, illustrated in Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book IV, Hong Kong, 1963, pl. 7. 

A Zhengde mark and period dish bearing the same dragon and lotus design, also from the Riesco Collection, is offered in the same sale (lot 3116). 

Christie'sThe R.F.A Riesco Collection of Important Chinese Ceramics, 27 November 2013, Hong Kong

A rare blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde four-character mark within double circles and of the period (1506-1521)

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A rare blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde four-character mark within double circles and of the period (1506-1521)

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 Lot 3116. A rare blue and white 'Dragon' bowl, Zhengde four-character mark within double circles and of the period (1506-1521), 9 1/2 in. (24 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 6,000,000 - HKD 9,000,000Price realised HKD 7,840,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013 

The dish with shallow rounded sides is finely painted in vibrant inky-blue tones in the centre with a rampant leaping dragon amongst a dense lotus meander, the well with two further striding dragons amidst lotus scrolls. The underside is painted with the same decoration above a band of ruyi heads. The base is covered with a transparent glaze and inscribed with the reign mark.

ProvenanceMajor Lindsay Fitzgerald Hay (1891-1946)
Sold at Sotheby's London, 25 June 1946, lot 48
Bluett & Sons, London, 1946, purchased for 85 pounds
Raymond F.A. Riesco Collection, no. 214c

LiteratureE.E. Bluett, The Riesco Collection of Old Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, London, circa 1951, p. 13, fig. 14
Sir Harry Garner, 'Blue and white of the middle Ming period', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1951-1953, pl. 20a
Sir Harry Garner, Oriental Blue and White, London, 1954, pl. 46A
London Borough of Croydon, Riesco Collection of Chinese Ceramics Handlist, Croydon, 1987, p. 11, no. 95 

ExhibitedOriental Ceramic Society, Loan Exhibition of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain 14th to 19th Centuries, London, 16 December 1953 - 23 January 1954, Catalogue no. 128
Palazzo Ducale, Arte Cinese, Venice, 1954, Catalogue, no. 663

Note: The design of five-clawed dragons amidst dense lotus scrolls is one of the most prevalent motifs seen on Zhengde porcelain. Its imperial provenance is further substantiated by the inclusion of a dish of this design on the sixth scroll of the imperial collection of the Yongzheng Emperor, the Guwan Tu, Scroll of Antiquities, dated to the sixth year of his reign (1728), from the Percival David Collection and now housed in the British Museum.

A Zhengde dish of similar design but slightly smaller in size in the Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 68, pl. 63. Other similar Zhengde-marked dishes include one in the Shanghai Museum, published in Wang Qingzheng, Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 116; one in the Tianminlou Collection, illustrated in Blue & White Porcelain from the Collection of Tianminlou Foundation, Shanghai, 1996, no. 56; one illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, no. 807; and one in the British Museum, illustrated by Jessica Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, no. 8:15. 

Blue and white Dragon dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521) © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Blue and white Dragon dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Height: 23.8 cm, Diameter: 4 cm. Donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston FranksFranks.303.+ © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

It appears that there are at least two variations to this design on this group of Zhengde dishes. The first type, like the current example, is depicted on the cavetto with two dragons on the left and right sides of the central leaping dragon; the second type is slightly varied with either dragon on top and below the dragon in the centre, such as the example bequeathed by Sir John Addis to the British Museum and illustrated ibid., no. 8:16. 

Dish with dragons amid lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period AD 1506–21

Dish with dragons amid lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period, AD 1506–21, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration. Height: 41 mm, Diameter: 194 mm. Sir Percival David Foundation of Art, PDF A651 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Blue and white 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521)

Blue and white 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Height: 24.8 cm, Diameter: 4.5 cm. Bequeathed by Sir John M Addis1984,0202.8 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum 

 

Christie'sThe R.F.A Riesco Collection of Important Chinese Ceramics, 27 November 2013, Hong Kong

Dish with dragons amid lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period AD 1506–21

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Dish with dragons amid lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period AD 1506–21

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Dish with dragons amid lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period AD 1506–21, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decoration. Height: 41 millimetres, Diameter: 194 millimetres. Sir Percival David Foundation of Art, PDF A651 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Shallow porcelain dish. Underglaze blue with two five-clawed dragons among floral scrolls on the exterior and on inside cavetto. Five-clawed dragon among floral scrolls in a roundel on the interior. Cloud motif band on foot. There is an inscription on the base. 

In the Chenghua era, officials closely supervised production of court orders at Jingdezhen. Twenty years later, the number of kilns producing porcelain for the court had increased dramatically and standards had declined because non-official kilns also supplied the court. This design, of five-clawed dragons amid dense lotus scroll, is based on an early fifteenth century pattern. Potters making the Zhengde examples used poorer quality raw materials, the potting was less sophisticated and the underglaze design not so well drawn.

Blue and white 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521)

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Blue and white 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521)

Blue and white 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Height: 24.8 cm, Diameter: 4.5 cm. Bequeathed by Sir John M Addis, 1984,0202.8 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Porcelain dish with underglaze blue decoration. On first glance this dish appears to be identical to BM Franks.303+, but in fact its potting, shape and the execution of its decoration are all different. This dish is much thicker and heavier. It has a distinct profile with rounded sides, a flaring rim and a generous tapering foot. The blue decoration is paler and the dragons fatter and more comical than menacing. Its rim is repaired. The dish has a glazed base bearing a four-character Zhengde reign mark within a double ring.


Blue and white Dragon dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521)

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Blue and white Dragon dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521) © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Blue and white Dragon dish, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521). Height: 23.8 cm, Diameter: 4 cm. Donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks, Franks.303.+ © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Porcelain dish with underglaze blue decoration. This dish has shallow rounded sides and a generous tapering foot. It is painted in cobalt blue beneath the glaze with dragons in different attitudes among lotus scrolls. In the centre the dragon is shown prancing with open jaws, bulging eyes and horns, and in the cavetto and outside there are two dragons, one with its jaws shut, revealing fangs, the other with open jaws and a contorted neck. The foot is decorated with a border of 'ruyi' heads. The dish has a glazed base bearing a four-character Zhengde reign mark within a double ring. 

This pattern of dragons on a ground of lotus was used on a range of table wares made for the Zhengde court. Dishes, bowls, ewers, stem cups, spittoons and bell-shaped bowls are all known with this style of dense decoration. Many dishes of this design survive, including another example at the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, one in the Tianminlou Collection and another in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Harrison-Hall 2001 8:15.

Dish with Dragons and Lotuses, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Zhengde mark and period (1506–21)

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Dish with Dragons and Lotuses, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Zhengde mark and period (1506–21)

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Dish with Dragons and Lotuses, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Zhengde mark and period (1506–21), early 16th century. Porcelain painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware). H. 1 7/8 (4.8 cm); Diam. 9 3/8 in. (23.8 cm), Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1963, 63.155.1 © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mosaïque du Dieu Océan, Art romain, 150 - 200 ap. J.-C

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Lot 60. Mosaïque du Dieu Océan, Art romain, 150 - 200 ap. J.-C. Estimation : 250 000 € / 350 000 €. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

Longueur de la bande : 6.78 m x 2.17 m composée de 15 compartiments inégaux dont le compartiment central (emblema) qui mesure 140 x 137 cm. La tête du dieu Océan 99 x 48 cm. 

Pavement bichrome de tesselles (opus sectile) de marbre et calcaire noires et blanches et à motifs figurés. Les tesselles de fond ne sont pas d’un blanc unique; blanc beige, rosé ou gris de dimensions variables. Restaurations : la partie droite de la bande et les lacunes du dauphin de l’angle supérieur gauche ont été refaites sur le modèle des parties symétriques semblables. Les deux compartiments à damier ont été supprimés et remplacés par une ligne de carrés noirs, la bordure de triangles ne se trouve plus qu’autour du tableau central. Réfections partielles du fond et des parties des poissons. La mosaïque a subi deux déposes. Repose de type muséal sur plaques alvéolaires.

Composée de 15 compartiments inégaux dont le compartiment central (emblema) où figure une scène marine avec le Dieu Océan à la barbe épaisse, hirsute et mouillée et au front surmonté de deux pinces de homard; les cheveux, la barbe, les traits du visage, les pinces de homard et les deux paires d’antennes au niveau du front et du nez sont dessinés par des lignes de tesselles blanches disposées en hachures. 

L’oeil est dessiné avec un soin particulier; on remarque de légères rides sur le front et à la racine du nez, le long des joues. Le visage est empreint de gravité mais le dessin assez libre des cheveux et de la barbe à laquelle se mêlent des algues, manifeste la liberté du mosaïste qui n’a pas copié servilement un carton.

Aux quatre angles, un Amour ailé chevauche un dauphin, ceux du registre supérieur tournent la tête vers le dieu, tandis que ceux du registre inférieur la tournent vers l’extérieur du cadre.

Ce décor marin est complété par des poissons, coquillages et crustacés évoluant sur un fond blanc et sont repris symétriquement de part et d’autre de la tête du dieu : De gauche à droite et de haut en bas on peut voir : une moule, une seconde moule, une langouste, un diplodus sardus, une coquille Saint-Jacques entr’ouverte, un mugil cephalus (52 cm), un esturgeon (65 cm), un mullus barbatus (40 cm), un loup (67 cm), une conque (38 cm), un gros diplodus sardus (71 cm) et un petit (41 cm). Bordure de triangles dentelés bichromes.

PublicationsCarte Archéologique de la Gaule, Pré-inventaire archéologique publié sous la direction de Michel Provost, Vienne 38/3, Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, Paris, 2013, p.478, Fig. 494
Janine Lancha, Recueil Général des Mosaïques de la Gaule, III - NARBONNAISE - 2, éd. CNRS, p. 118 - 125, Pl. XLVII, XLVIII, XLIX
Janine Lancha, Les mosaïques de Vienne, Presses universitaires de Lyon II, g. 13

ExpositionLa mosaïque, Galerie du CCST-CA, Nice, 31/05 - 25/08/1990

Archéologie, Antiquités d'Europe et d'Asie chez Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco, le 23 Juillet 2017 à 14h30

Torse d'amazone, Art romain, Ier siècle av. J.-C.

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Lot 70. Torse d'amazone, Art romain, Ier siècle av. J.-C. Estimation : 50 000 € / 60 000 €. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

Marbre blanc. Patine d’usure. Le drapé est en excellent état de conversation à l’avant. A l’arrière, légère érosion de la surface générale. La surface au niveau du torse et des jambes est marquée par des égrenures. Manque la tête, les bras et la partie inférieure des jambes. H. 78 cm.

Daprès le fameux canon de l’Amazone Mattei attribuéà Phidias, le célèbre sculpteur grec de la seconde moitié du Vème siècle av. J.-C.

Figurée debout, la jambe gauche en avant, le genou légèrement replié, tandis que la jambe droite, plus tendue reste en arrière. La position de l’épaule droite (aujourd’hui manquante) semble indiquer que son bras droit était levé au-dessus de sa tête. Elle est vêtue d’un chiton ceinturé et nouéà la taille au niveau du nombril. Le sein droit découvert, son sein gauche à peine marqué rappelle le rituel des Amazones qui se coupaient le sein afin de faciliter le maniement de l’arc. 

Plusieurs types d’amazones ont été identifiés et sont référencés dans Les Histoires Naturelles de Pline l’Ancien. Les Amazones ont été figurées ainsi par les plus grands artistes de la Grèce.

Ayant ainsi indiqué les époques des artistes les plus célèbres, je passerai rapidement en revue les plus éminents; la foule des autres sera dispersée çà et la. Les plus célèbres, quoique n’appartenant pas précisément à la même époque, ont concouru ensemble par des Amazones qu’ils avaient faites. Quand on dédia ces statues dans le temple de Diane d’Éphèse, on convint, pour savoir quelle était la meilleure, de s’en rapporter au jugement des artistes eux-mêmes, qui étaient présents; il fut évident que c’était celle que chacun avait jugée la première après la sienne. De cette façon celle de Polyclète fut placée au premier rang, au second celle de Phidias, au troisième celle de Crésilas (54), au quatrième celle de Cydon, au dernier celle de Phradmon. 

Histoire Naturelle,  XXXIV, 54

 

ProvenanceAncienne collection particulière de Monsieur V., Paris. Dans la famille depuis les années 50 puis par descendance jusqu’au propriétaire actuel.

Archéologie, Antiquités d'Europe et d'Asie chez Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco, le 23 Juillet 2017 à 14h30

Anse de kouros, Etrurie, seconde moitié du VI ème siècle av. J.-C.

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Lot 61. Anse de kouros, Etrurie, seconde moitié du VI ème siècle av. J.-C. Estimation : 40 000 € / 60 000 €. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

Bronze. Fonte pleine et ciselure. Très belle patine verte et rouge. Très belle conservation. H. 26 cm

Formé d’un bel éphèbe dans la position du kouros grec; de face, les jambes se touchent sans ménager de jour entre elles. Le torse est triangulaire, les épaules très droites et puissantes, l’anatomie est très développée. Les bras se dégage du corps, les avant-bras repliés, la main droite est tendue et ouverte tandis que sa main gauche à le poing fermé. Le visage allongé révèle les caractéristiques du traitement archaïque aux influences ioniennes; les yeux en amande, un nez court et une petite bouche. La longue chevelure de mèches lisses marquées par de très fines incisions est ramenée en arrière au-dessous des épaules, est coiffée en frange épaisse sur le front jusqu’aux tempes. Le crâne est surmonté d’une anse se terminant par une tête de bouquetin particulièrement élégante et vue de profil. L’animal est caractérisé par un museau avançant, des yeux allongés et deux cornes recourbées; les détails des yeux, des cornes et de la barbiche sont aussi finement ciselés. Sous les pieds du kouros, une attache se terminant par une palmette détachée à 5 pétales et volutes finement ciselée était soudée à la phiale ou à la base du support. 

L’iconographie et l’exécution sont typiques du style archaïque

ProvenanceCollection privée espagnole. Ancienne collection privée française acquis dans les années 70-80.

Littérature: Pour une pièce similaire voir : S. Reinach, Répertoire de la statuaire grecque et romaine, 2.V , p.91, fig.7
G. Micali, Monumenti per servire alla storia degli antichi popoli italiani, 2e éd, Vol. 2, Florence 1844, XL.5

Archéologie, Antiquités d'Europe et d'Asie chez Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco, le 23 Juillet 2017 à 14h30

Modèle de sculpteur, Egypte, fin du Nouvel Empire (XIIIème–XIème siècle av. J.-C)

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Lot 35. Modèle de sculpteur, Egypte, fin du Nouvel Empire (XIIIème–XIème siècle av. J.-C). Estimation : 25 000 € / 30 000 €. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo

Calcaire. Belle patine d’usure. Eclat à la naissance de la barbe postiche. D. 21x17 cm

Ce fragment de modèle de sculpteur est orné en relief d’une tête de pharaon de profil, coiffé du némès dont les rayures sont finement sculptées. Au niveau du front on distingue la base d’un uraeus aujourd’hui manquant. Il porte la barbe postiche dont les tresses sont représentées par une succession de fines incisions horizontales et un collier de perles à deux rangs.

Le revers de la pierre est marquée par un quadrillage utilisé par les sculpteurs pour obtenir les proportions idéales lors de la confection des reliefs. 

ProvenanceCollection privée parisienne.

Archéologie, Antiquités d'Europe et d'Asie chez Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco, le 23 Juillet 2017 à 14h30

Rare fibule en or, Art romain, Ier-IIème siècle

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Lot 54. Rare fibule en or, Art romain, Ier-IIème siècleEstimation : 7 000 € / 9 000 €. Photo Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo.

Belle fibule en or. L’attache est manquante.

Représentant un aigle, les ailes déployées, les pattes grandes ouvertes, prêt à attraper sa proie. 

ProvenanceCollection particulière A. Alonso, Salamanque. Constituée entre les années 1960 et 1980.

Archéologie, Antiquités d'Europe et d'Asie chez Hôtel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco, le 23 Juillet 2017 à 14h30


Dish with flowering pomegranate, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period, AD 1506–1521

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Dish with flowering pomegranate, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period, AD 1506–1521

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Dish with flowering pomegranate, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period, AD 1506–1521, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration and yellow glaze. Height: 56 mm, Diameter: 297 mm. Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, PDF 779 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Porcelain dish with rounded sides, everted rim and tapering foot. There are flower and fruit sprays in underglaze blue in reserve against a yellow enamel ground on the interior and the exterior. There is a mark in underglaze blue on the base, which has colourless glaze.

This design, invented in the early fifteenth century, was made continuously for one hundred years at Jingdezhen with minor variations and later was revived in the Qing dynasty (AD 1644–1911). The dish is decorated with a flowering pomegranate branch in the centre with fruiting branches of persimmon, peach, lychee and cherry in the walls. The branches have ragged ends, following a well-known convention, indicating they were broken from a tree. On the exterior are lotus scrolls and a six-character Zhengde reign mark written on the base.

A very fine and rare yellow-ground and underglaze-blue decorated dish, Mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521)

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A very fine and rare yellow-ground and underglaze-blue decorated dish mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521)

Lot 205. A very fine and rare yellow-ground and underglaze-blue decorated dish, Mark and period of Zhengde (1506-1521), 29.3 cm., 11 1/2 in. Estimate 8,000,000 — 12,000,000. Lot sold 15,800,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

well potted with gently rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot to an everted rim, freely painted to the interior in deep and shaded tones of cobalt-blue with a medallion enclosing a single branch of pomegranate issuing two large blooms in profile laden with overlapping layers of petals and three tight buds, the cavetto freely painted with four fruiting sprays laden with dense foliage and weighted with plump fruit including peach, lychee, cherries and persimmon, the underside with four detached sprigs of lotus issuing curled trefoil leaves and a large bloom, all between double-circles and reserved against a brilliant and glossy lemon-yellow ground, the base glazed white and inscribed with a six-character mark within double circles.

Provenance: Collection of Mrs M. Constantinidi (no. 61).
Sotheby's London, 8th July 1947, lot 71.
Bluett and Sons, London (1947).
The Rt. Hon. Rolf Cunliffe, 2nd Baron Cunliffe of Headley (1899-1963)(no. PM83).
Bonham's London, 11th November 2002, lot 75.

BibliographySoame Jenyns, Ming Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1953, pl. 59b. 

NoteThis Zhengde dish is most remarkable for its deep and brilliant yellow glaze providing a stunning contrast and background for the bold underglaze-blue decoration. Although Zhengde dishes of this form and design can be found in important museums and private collections, the present dish is a fine example of what potters of the Zhengde period were capable of achieving.  

Two Zhengde dishes of this pattern in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, are illustrated in Blue and  White  Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book IV, Hong Kong, 1963, pls. 13a-b, and in Minji meihin zuroku, vol. 2, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 98, respectively. In Western museum collections see a similar dish in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, included in The World's Great Collections. Oriental Ceramics, vol. 10, 1980, col. pl. 48; and another in John Ayers, Far  Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1980, pl. 154. 

Plate with underglaze blue decoration of auspicious fruit branches over yellow ground, Chinese, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period (1505–21)

Plate with underglaze blue decoration of auspicious fruit branches over yellow ground, Chinese, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period (1505–21). Porcelain, Jingdezhen ware, 5.2 x 29.5 cm (2 1/16 x 11 5/8 in.). The John Pickering Lyman Collection—Gift of Miss Theodora Lyman, 19.1016 © 2017 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21)

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21), Jingdezhen. Porcelain decorated in underglaze blue and yellow glaze. Diameter: 29.5 cm. Maxwell Brownjohn Bequest, C.50-1965 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.

Compare also a similar dish published in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 645; and another included in Masterpieces of Chinese and Korean Ceramics in the Ataka Collection, Tokyo, 1980, p. 104, previously sold in our London rooms, 19th January 1960, lot 87, and again, 2nd March 1971, lot 167. 

See also a dish from the British Rail Pension Fund sold in these rooms, 16th May 1989, lot 24; one from the Manno Art Museum, Tokyo, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 530; and one from the Edward T. Chow collection also sold in these rooms, 25th November 1980, lot 41.   

Compare the Chenghua prototype of this pattern with reign marks below the rim, from the Edward T. Chow collection, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition The Arts of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1957, cat.no. 197, and sold in these rooms, 25th November 1980, lot 40.  It is interesting to note that all the dishes of this type painted with flowering pomegranates appear to be of this very large size, whereas those painted with a gardenia are usually smaller, the Zhengde examples usually approximately 20 cm in diameter, with either six or four character reign marks, and the Hongzhi ones slightly bigger, approximately 25 cm in diameter. 

Sotheby's. A Quest for Perfection - Important Chinese Porcelain from a Distinguished Asian Family Hong Kong, 23 oct. 2005

Plate with underglaze blue decoration of auspicious fruit branches over yellow ground, Chinese, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period

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Plate with underglaze blue decoration of auspicious fruit branches over yellow ground, Chinese, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period (1505–21)

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Plate with underglaze blue decoration of auspicious fruit branches over yellow ground, Chinese, Ming dynasty, Zhengde period (1505–21). Porcelain, Jingdezhen ware, 5.2 x 29.5 cm (2 1/16 x 11 5/8 in.). The John Pickering Lyman Collection—Gift of Miss Theodora Lyman, 19.1016 © 2017 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Bavarian State Painting Collections restitutes 'The Raising of Lazarus'

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The Raising of Lazarus’, c. 1530–1540, South-German master. Softwood, 107 x 160.2 cm.

MUNICH.- Since 1998, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) has restituted a total of twelve works from eight collections. With this 13th restitution, the Bavarian State Painting Collections and the joint heirs of James von Bleichröder have reached a good solution for all parties, after lengthy and intensive groundwork. 

The case concerns the painting: ‘The Raising of Lazarus’, c. 1530–1540, South-German master. Softwood, 107 x 160.2 cm 

As early as 2004, the Bavarian State Painting Collections made the painting’s provenance public in the richly annotated publication ‘Die Kunstsammlung Hermann Görings’, written by the provenance researcher Ilse von zur Mühlen. Two years later, the painting was posted on the ‘Lost Art’ database, directly following the database’s creation, because its origin in the Göring collection suggested that it had might have been a work of looted art. After a representative of the joint heirs subsequently got in contact with the museum association in 2011 and submitted a formal restitution claim in 2015, historical research began into the persecution of the family and the painting’s chain of custody. 

The painting ‘The Raising of Lazarus’ comes from the estate of James von Bleichröder (1859–1937), a royal Prussian cavalry captain and doctor of jurisprudence. James von Bleichröder was one of the sons of the banker Gerson von Bleichröder, owner of a private bank of the same name that was ruined under Hitler. Because of his Jewish heritage, James von Bleichröder was among those persecuted from 1933 on. Similar to the fate of the bank, the Von Bleichröder family lost their social standing. Several family members lost their lives in the Holocaust. 

After James von Bleichröder’s death in 1938, the painting was auctioned at the Lepke auction house, where it was acquired by the art dealer Böhler of Munich and sold to Hermann Göring shortly afterward. It remained in Hermann Göring’s collection until 1945 and was transferred by the Trust Administration for Cultural Assets (Treuhandverwaltung für Kulturgut) of West Germany to the Bavarian State Painting Collections as ‘relocated state property’ in 1961. 

Its restitution follows the ‘Washington Principles’ and is in accordance with the guidelines of the 16 German states for the implementation of the ‘Declaration of the Federal Government, States, and Central Municipal Associations for the Recovery and Restitution of Nazi-Confiscated Cultural Property, Especially from Jewish Owners’. 

The heirs of James von Bleichröder and the Bavarian State Painting Collections have jointly and bindingly agreed that the work is first to be restituted and subsequently purchased by the Bavarian State Painting Collections. 

In an emphatic statement, Director-General Dr. Bernhard Maaz said: ‘It is important to me that we apply all energies in accounting for this dark chapter of history. I am pleased that, after protracted groundwork and lengthy efforts, we have managed to find justice for the Bleichröder family, and that the painting could be acquired with the Bavarian State Painting Collections’ own funds, combined with additional donations.’ 

Speaking on behalf of one part of the ‘community of heirs’, the lawyer Dr. Frank Winkel stated: ‘As heirs of James von Bleichröder, we are satisfied with the resolution. The Bavarian State Painting Collections reviewed and approved the restitution claim with great care and deliberation. We cannot undo the crimes of the Nazi era, but we can provide legal closure. This has been achieved.’ 

In a statement on behalf of the other part of the ‘community of heirs’, James Palmer, founder of Mondex Corporation, said: ‘I am very pleased that the restitution claim for this important painting has been amicably resolved. Justice, respect, closure and understanding are all important elements in any restitution project. On behalf of the family of James von Bleichröder, we are grateful to the researchers at the Bavarian State Painting Collections, and in particular to their Director-General Dr. Bernhard Maaz, and we thank them for their help and cooperation with Mondex Corporation.’ 

The painting, ‘The Raising of Lazarus’, has undergone restoration and will again be on display in the branch of the Bavarian State Painting Collections located at Schloss Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg, as soon as a construction project there has been completed. In future, an honorary plaque will give details of the restitution and the fate of the family that once owned it. 

In response to the restitution, Bavarian Minister of Art Dr. Ludwig Spaenle stated: ‘The restitution of the painting‘The Raising of Lazarus’ by a South-German master from the sixteenth century, which comes from the estate of Dr. James von Bleichröder (d. 1937), demonstrates that the Bavarian Ministry of Culture and state collections and institutions are committed to vigorous provenance research with the goal of rectifying injustices of the Nazi era.'

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21)

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Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21)

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue with yellow glaze, China, Ming dynasty, Zhengde reign period and mark (1506-21), Jingdezhen. Porcelain decorated in underglaze blue and yellow glaze. Diameter: 29.5 cm. Maxwell Brownjohn Bequest, C.50-1965 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017. 

Porcelain dish painted in underglaze blue on a yellow ground with a pomegranate flowers branch in the central medallion and sprays of peach, pomegranate, cherry and another unidentified fuit around it. Four styled lotus sprays are painted on the outside. A six-character inperial mark in a double ring is on the base.

This dish was made at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen in southern China during the Zhengde reign (1506-21). Official wares or guan yao were produced in workshops supervised by imperial officers and were destined to the court in Beijing.

This kind of floral composition, painted in underglaze blue against a yellow glazed ground, was particularly popular from the Xuande (1426-35) to the Jiajing period (1522-66). In this example the central medallion contains a branch of pomegranate flowers; the fruit, called shiliu in Chinese, is a symbol of abundance and carries the wish to have many sons.

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