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A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea  bowl, Southern Song dynasty, (1127-1279)

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Lot 1493. A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea  bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), 4 7/8 in. (12.3 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000Price realised USD 20,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The bowl has deep, rounded conical sides and is covered inside and out, below the matte, russet-brown, indented rim, with a lustrous blackish-brown glaze streaked with russet 'hare's fur' markings that falls short of the foot on the exterior to expose the coarse ware fired to a purplish-brown color..

ProvenanceChristie's London, 8 June 1987, lot 117.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York 


A Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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A Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

Lot 1529. A Longquan celadon tripod censer, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), 5 in. (12.7 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 20,000Price realised USD 20,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The compressed body is raised on three slightly splayed, conical supports and surmounted by a cylindrical neck rising to the flat, everted rim, with three narrow flanges beginning at a slight ridge on the shoulder and trailing down each leg. The censer is covered overall with a greyish bluish-toned glaze ending at the bottom of the legs to expose the pale grey ware, Japanese wood box.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

 

A Jizhou painted brown-glazed 'Phoenix' bowl, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-14th century

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A Jizhou painted brown-glazed 'Phoenix' bowl, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-14th century

Lot 1534. A Jizhou painted brown-glazed 'Phoenix' bowl, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-14th century, 4 ½ in. (11.5 cm.) diam.Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000Price realised USD 20,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The bowl has rounded sides that rise to a slightly indented rim, and is covered with a dark brown glaze decorated on the interior in overglaze buff with a central flower head encircled by two phoenixes in flight between flower sprigs, which ends in an irregular line on the exterior, exposing the pale grey ware.

Provenance: By repute, John Sparks Ltd., London, acquired in the 1930s.
George Harwood Sr., Johannesburg, South Africa, and thence by descent.

NoteA bowl of this shape, similarly decorated in buff overglaze with two phoenixes in flight in the interior, is illustrated by R. D. Mowry in Hare's, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers: Chinese Brown- and Black-Glazed Ceramics, 400-1400, Harvard University Art Museums, 1996, p. 239, no. 95.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A Yaozhou russet-brown-glazed cup stand, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century

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A Yaozhou russet-brown-glazed cup stand, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century

Lot 1525. A Yaozhou russet-brown-glazed cup stand, Northern Song dynasty, 11th-12th century, 4 ½ in. (11.6 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000Price realised USD 18,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The cup holder has a rounded shoulder that curves in towards the rim, and sides that taper towards the integral 'saucer' raised on a slightly splayed pedestal foot. The whole is covered inside and out with a somewhat variegated russet-brown glaze that thins on the rims and falls irregularly onto the foot, exposing the fine light grey stoneware, Japanese wood box.

Note: The function of the cup-stand is very similar to that of a saucer. As the steaming cups and bowls of tea have no handles, they are placed on stands when served or passed around, so as not to burn the fingers. In addition, they had a decorative purpose and were used as part of the presentation of the tea ceremony. In the Zu xia lu (Record of Leisurely Enjoyment) the 9th century author Li Kuangyi states that the first bowl stands were made in the Jianzong reign (AD 780-83). However, the earliest bowl stand excavated to date comes from a Jin dynasty tomb in Changsha, Hunan province. Certainly by the Song dynasty bowl stands were very popular in both lacquer and ceramics. The lacquer bowls and bowl stands were very costly, and so ceramics which emulated the color and texture of lacquer were much appreciated. The present bowl stand has the color and glossy texture of brown lacquer. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York 

A Longquan celadon ewer, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1127-1368)

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A Longquan celadon ewer, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1127-1368)

Lot 1510. A Longquan celadon ewer, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty (1127-1368). Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000Price realised USD 16,250. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The globular body is surmounted by a short neck and everted rim, and has a slightly curved spout on one side opposite a C-form handle. The ewer is covered overall with a glaze of pale olive-green tone. Together with a small Longquan celadon bowl and a cover, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), the sides of the bowl and the domed cover are carved with a band of overlapping petals, and both are covered overall in a crackled glaze of pale blue-green tone. Ewer 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm.) high; bowl and cover 4 ¼ in. (10.8 cm.) diam. (cover)

ProvenanceBowl and cover: S. Marchant & Son, London. 
Both: Christie's New York, 25 March 1998, lot 162 (part).
Dr. Ralph C. Marcove (1929-2001) Collection, New York. 

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York 

A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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Lot 1494. A Jianyao 'hare's fur' tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), 5 in. (12.6 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 4,000 - USD 6,000Price realised USD 15,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The bowl has slightly rounded conical sides and is covered inside and out, below the matte, russet-brown, indented rim, with a lustrous blackish-brown glaze densely streaked in russet with 'hare's fur' markings that falls in a thick, irregular line to the foot to expose the ware fired to a purplish-brown color.

ProvenanceChristie's London, 8 December 1986, lot 213.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York 

A Qingbai carved conical bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

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A Qingbai carved conical bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

Lot 1496. A Qingbai carved conical bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), 7 ¼ in. (18.4 cm.) diamEstimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000Price realised USD 15,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The bowl has widely flared sides and is well carved on the interior with lotus scroll bearing four blossoms, two shown full, and two shown in profile, the flowers interspersed with water weeds, all under a glaze of aquamarine color that pools to a deep tone in the carving and in the bottom of the interior, box.

Provenance: B. K. Wong, Hong Kong, 1987.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

An unusual Qingbai carved bracket-lobed dish, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-13th century

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An unusual Qingbai carved bracket-lobed dish, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-13th century

Lot 1542. An unusual Qingbai carved bracket-lobed dish, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 12th-13th century, 7 5/8 in. (19.5 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 12,000 - USD 18,000Price realised USD 15,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The interior is carved in the center with a lotus stem surrounded by an immortal holding a scepter, a crane, and a tortoise, alternating with stylized clouds, below a foliate scroll border interrupted by the immortal's halo just below the everted, bracket-lobed rim. The dish is covered inside and out with a pale aqua-blue glaze pooling to a slightly darker tone on the slightly tapered ring foot, and the base is left unglazed, revealing the white body., box.

NoteA nearly identical qingbai dish, decorated with the same motif, in the Avery Brundage Collection, is illustrated by Stacey Pierson (ed.) in Qingbai Ware: Chinese Porcelain of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, London, 2002, pp. 84-5, no. 35. Pierson notes that qingbai ceramics depicting Daoist motifs are among the earliest examples of Daoist iconography in Chinese ceramics, which became popularized in the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Another similar qingbai dish, also decorated with crane, cloud and tortoise, is illustrated by Wang Qingzheng, R. Scott and J. Chen, Serene Pleasure: The Jinglexuan Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Seattle Art Museum, 2001, p. 36, no. 9.

Saucer with lotus blossom and a figure of an immortal amid clouds, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)-Yuan dynasty (1279-1368)

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Saucer with lotus blossom and a figure of an immortal amid clouds, China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)-Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Glazed qingbai porcelain with incised decoration on interior. H. 1 1/8 in x Diam. 7 5/8 in, H. 2.9 cm x Diam. 19.9 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B65P28© 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part II, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York


Mattia Mognetti, Re-Store

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Mattia Mognetti, San Gottardo in Corte, Milano, XIV century © Mattia Mognetti

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Mattia Mognetti, Battistero della Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo, XIV century © Mattia Mognetti

L’image contient peut-être : ciel, nuit, arbre et plein air

Mattia Mognetti, San Pietro in Gessate, Milano, XV century© Mattia Mognetti

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Mattia Mognetti, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo, XII-XVII century© Mattia Mognetti

L’image contient peut-être : nuit et plein air

Mattia Mognetti, Cattedrale di Sant'Alessandro, Bergamo, XV-XIX century© Mattia Mognetti

L’image contient peut-être : nuit, ciel, arbre et plein air

Mattia Mognetti, Santuario della Madonna dei Campi, Stezzano, XV-XIX century© Mattia Mognetti

L’image contient peut-être : nuit, ciel et plein air

Mattia Mognetti, Abbazia di Chiaravalle, Milano, XII-XVII century© Mattia Mognetti

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Mattia Mognetti, Mausoleo della famiglia Crespi, Crespi d'Adda, XIX century© Mattia Mognetti

Two Japanese Master Printmakers Go Head to Head in "Showdown! Kuniyoshi vs. Kunisada"

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BOSTON—Rival artists Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) and Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864) were the two best-selling designers of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in 19th-century Japan. Featuring 100 works drawn from the preeminent Japanese collection housed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), Showdown! Kuniyoshi vs. Kunisadarevives the centuries-old competition and invites visitors to decide which of the two artists is their personal favorite. Kunisada was more popular during his lifetime, famous for realistic portraits of kabuki theater actors, sensual images of beautiful women and the luxurious settings he imagined for historical scenes. Kuniyoshi is beloved by today’s connoisseurs and collectors for his dynamic action scenes of tattooed warriors and supernatural monsters—foreshadowing present-day manga and anime—as well as comic prints and a few especially daring works that feature forbidden political satire in disguise. Many of the prints in the exhibition, on view in the Lois B. and Michael K. Torf Gallery from August 11 to December 10, 2017, are being shown in the U.S. for the first time—including large, multi-sheet images in brilliant color. An in-gallery quiz, also available online, poses the question “Are you #TeamKuniyoshi or #TeamKunisada?” and encourages visitors to share their results on social media. Presented with support from the Patricia B. Jacoby Exhibition Fund and an anonymous funder.

Kuniyoshi and Kunisada’s wonderful depictions of tattooed warriors, supernatural monsters, kabuki actors and Edo fashionistas are amazingly well suited to 21st-century taste,” said Sarah E. Thompson, Curator, Japanese Art, who organized the exhibition. “We are happily rediscovering these great artists and are eager to see how this rivalry will play out in modern times.”

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Takeout sushi suggesting Ataka, about 1844. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Kuniyoshi and Kunisada were the star pupils of Utagawa Toyokuni (1769–1825), who was the second head of the famed Utagawa school of ukiyo-e woodblock print artists. Ukiyo-e, which translates to “pictures of the floating world,” was a genre of paintings and prints that drew their subject matter from fashionable city life, especially the kabuki theater and the Yoshiwara pleasure district. Kuniyoshi and Kunisada took the floating world by storm during the end of the Edo Period (1603–1868), when the mass-produced ukiyo-e prints thrived as an important media for conveying the latest entertainment and fashion reports—a precursor to television and magazines. Members of the general public were thrilled and enthralled by the dashing heroes, beautiful women and other figures portrayed within the works.

The exhibition is organized thematically, showcasing how Kuniyoshi and Kunisada depicted the same popular subjects—and often riffed off each other’s signature styles. Their prints are distinguished by frame color in the gallery: black ash for Kuniyoshi and cherry for Kunisada. Additionally, the themes recur in the in-gallery and online quiz, which prompts visitors to choose between playful pairings of prints—for example, Kuniyoshi’s triptych of a shipwreck caused by a gigantic sea monster or Kunisada’s triptych of fierce warriors in pursuit of a villain—and reveals their preference for #TeamKuniyoshi or #TeamKunisada at the end.

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Utagawa Kunisada, Three-color Shading Made to Order,1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Heroes, Ghosts and Monsters

During the first half of the 19th century, there was a huge boom in adventure stories in Japan—thrilling tales that inspired printed books, kabuki plays and colorful woodblock prints. Kunisada was renowned for his accurate portrayals of famous kabuki actors, inserting them into imaginary scenes from bestselling fantasy novels such as The Eight Dog Heroes of Satomi. A spectacular eight-sheet tower from about 1850—the tallest-known ukiyo-e print, published as four separate diptychs—depicts a rooftop fight scene from the story. Kunisada gave each hero the face of a famous actor, confident that he did not need to identify them because his drawing skills would make them instantly recognizable.

Kuniyoshi, meanwhile, gained fame with his imaginary, action-packed portraits of tattooed warriors. His hit series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Shuihuzhuan (about 1827–30) made him a star among ukiyo-e artists, comparable to the older, already-established Kunisada. The characters were drawn from a beloved Chinese martial arts novel known in English as The Water Margin ( Shuihuzhuan in the original Chinese and Suikoden in Japanese), a story about 108 bandits that was loosely based on the history of 12th-century China. In one print, Kuniyoshi portrays Yan Qing, a skilled wrestler, described as having tattoos that cover his entire body. While the subject of the tattoos is not mentioned in the book, Kuniyoshi decorated the hero’s body with lions among peonies, symbolizing courage. Another warrior, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, from the series Eight Hundred Heroes of the Japanese Shuihuzhuan, is depicted with a splendid dragon tattoo, even though large pictorial tattoos were not yet being done in Japan during Ayunosuke’s lifetime. Kuniyoshi himself reportedly had tattoos, and his designs continue to inspire artists today.

Often, the rival artists depicted the same popular subjects—one example is the story of the nekomata, a fork-tailed cat monster from a kabuki play about a series of supernatural events on the Tōkaidō Road. The role was written for Onoe Kikugorō III, a top star who specialized in ghost plays. An 1847 print by Kuniyoshi commemorates Kikugorō’s grand retirement performance, which had taken place that year, while a later print by Kunisada serves as a fond recollection of the same event, published three years after the actor’s death.

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Utagawa Kunisada, Clearing Weather, 1833. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of L. Aaron Lebowich. 

Superstars of Kabuki

Kabuki was a core institution of the Edo period. All-male casts delighted their fans with day-long performances that usually combined several different plays, with complicated plots drawn from Japanese history, real-life drama and fantasy fiction. Many actors specialized in different kinds of parts, such as female roles or action heroes, but versatility was also greatly admired. Actor prints—the equivalent of today’s celebrity photographs—were often sold as a series, and eager fans were not satisfied until they obtained every one. These featured both real and imagined performances, as well as scenes of actors in real life, often modeling the latest fashions for men.

In addition to Kunisada’s sought-after actor prints, this section features a spectacular 1856 six-sheet design by the artist, made up of two triptychs that function either separately or together. They show the dressing rooms at the Ichimura Theater, celebrating the reopening of the building after it was rebuilt following the disastrous earthquake and fire of 1855 that leveled much of Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Theater fans could have had hours of fun identifying their favorite stars and discussing the many activities depicted.

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Oh, ouch!” and Giant Octopus from the Nameri River in Etchu, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Gift of Sue Cassidy Clark in honor of Sarah E. Thompson.

Private Pleasures: Surimono Prints

Special prints known as surimono, unlike other ukiyo-e prints, were not commercial products made for sale in stores. Instead, they were commissioned by private patrons, who were willing to pay for the most lavish materials and printing techniques. Visitors are encouraged to look at the prints in this section from different angles to spot fine details such as metallic pigments or embossed designs.

Surimono prints featured a wide range of subject matter, including landscape and still life, but since Kuniyoshi and Kunisada were famous for their outstanding skill in drawing human figures, they were most often commissioned to create images of kabuki actors or beautiful women. Highlights of this section include two especially fine surimonotriptychs—one by Kunisada and one by Kuniyoshi—commissioned by the same patron, Lord Mōri of the Chōshū domain, to show ideal performances that had not yet occurred in real life. Kunisada’s print (about 1829) portrays a scene from one of the most famous of all kabuki plays, Sukeroku and the Cherry Blossoms of Edo, featuring the swashbuckling hero Sukeroku and his lover Agemaki, the most beautiful courtesan in the Yoshiwara. Kunisada cast two top stars, Ichikawa Danjūrō VII and Iwai Kumesaburō II, in the roles, joined by Onoe Kikugorō III as Sukeroku’s brother Shinbei. Fans loved seeing Danjūrō and Kikugorō perform together because of the sizzling rivalry between the two handsome superstars, but this particular performance never actually materialized. Kuniyoshi’s print (about 1835–36) portrays the same actors—Onoe Kikugorō III and the former Ichikawa Danjuro VII, now using the name Ichikawa Ebizō V. In the fall of 1836, a play with this ideal cast was indeed produced in Edo, but sadly, Lord Mōri, the patron, died of illness at just that time.

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Utagawa Kunisada, A Modern Shuihuzhuan, 1859. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of William Perkins Babcock.

Edo Fashionistas

From the beginning of ukiyo-e printmaking in the late 17th cenutry, images of beauties, known as bijin-ga, were a major category of subject matter. Depictions of lovely young women in the latest outfits could serve as both pinups for men and fashion plates for women, providing a wide range of potential customers for printmakers. The most famous beauties of all were the top-ranked courtesans of the Yoshiwara, who were fashion icons much like the supermodels and female pop stars of today. Most of the women in prints by Kuniyoshi and Kunisada, however, are not courtesans. Some are geisha—entertainers who provided music, dance and witty conversations at parties. Geisha were required by law to dress more plainly than courtesans, but turned this restriction into their own refined form of elegance. Many of the beauties are ordinary townswomen of the middle or even upper class, displaying their fashion sense through their choice of kimono fabrics, hairstyles and makeup—and inspiring viewers of the prints to try similar styles.

Among the works on display in this section are five prints by each artist—selections from Kunisada’s Thirty-two Physiognomic Types in the Modern World (1820s) and Kuniyoshi’s Women in Benkei-checked Fabrics(about 1844). The title of Kunisada’s series refers to the popular form of fortune telling called physiognomy (ninsōgaku) that predicted the personality and future prospects of its subjects based on their facial features. Physiognomists often used magnifying glasses with imported Dutch lenses, like the one used for the series title on each print, to examine their clients’ faces. Kuniyoshi’s series, meanwhile, depicts fashionable young women dressed in fabrics with wide crisscrossing stripes, known in the present-day U.S. as “buffalo checks” and in Edo-period Japan as the Benkei pattern, after a legendary warrior.

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hayakawa Ayunosuke, about 1830. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Bequest of Maxim Karolik.

Four Seasons in the City

The residents of Edo were proud of their city and enjoyed making excursions to its most famous scenic spots, choosing their destinations according to the season in order to enjoy sights of natural beauty such as snowfall or cherry blossoms, or annual events such as the “River Opening” at the beginning of the summer. The celebration featured a display of fireworks at the great Ryōgoku Bridge, as well as temporary food stalls and other attractions along the river. Artists like Kunisada and Kuniyoshi designed numerous views of fashionable city dwellers—especially beautiful young women—amusing themselves throughout the year, in a chic modern version of the theme of “Four Seasons” that had long been important in Japanese art.

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Utagawa Kunisada, Actor Onoe Kikugoro III as a Cat Monster, 1852. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

Riddles, Jokes and Secrets

Humor was an important element of Edo-period popular culture, and puns, wordplay and verbal and visual jokes of all kinds appear frequently in woodblock prints. Occasionally, humor was used to disguise social and political commentary that, in a more obvious form, would have been illegal under the strict censorship of the time. Government regulations regarding what was and was not permitted in prints and printed books varied over time. The most extreme censorship occurred in the early 1840s under the so-called Tenpō Reform policies, which attempted a massive economic and social reorganization to counter the economic depression of the 1830s. In 1843, Kuniyoshi published The Earth Spider Generates Monsters at the Mansion of Lord Minamoto Yorimitsu—the subject was typical of his prints of warriors and monsters, but rumors quickly spread that it hinted discreetly at criticism of the current political situation. The print was banned and the blocks destroyed, but Kuniyoshi and his publisher escaped punishment because there was no clear proof of any wrongdoing. To this day, scholars argue about whether this work was a secret, illegal political cartoon.

From late 1842 until late 1846, prints of the two most important ukiyo-esubjects—actors and courtesans—were banned. They were eventually permitted again, provided that their names were not mentioned. Kuniyoshi responded by creating a series known as Scribbles on a Warehouse Wall, drawn in a deliberately crude style resembling graffiti. The prints showed famous actors, with a few scribbled words that helped to identify the roles and scenes. One sheet includes a cartoon version of dancing cats, again referencing the grand farewell performance of Onoe Kikugorō III as the cat monster in 1847.

This final section also includes a case of erotic books—a genre that was technically illegal, although the laws were not strictly enforced as long as sales were kept discreetly under the counter. Both Kuniyoshi and Kunisada illustrated numerous semi-secret erotic books in additional to their legal, publicly available illustrations, sometimes even signing the erotic works with special pen names. The first editions of these books are often very finely printed, using thick paper and special techniques such as metallic pigments and embossing. Like the surimonoprints that they resemble, they may have been privately commissioned by wealthy and powerful patrons.

August 11, 2017 – December 10, 2017

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi, The Origin Story of the Cat Stone at Okabe, 1847. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

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Utagawa Kunisada, The In-demand Type (detail), 1820s. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Nellie Parney Carter Collection—Bequest of Nellie Parney Carter.

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Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Nozarashi Gosuke, about 1845. Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

A blue and white shallow dish, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566

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A blue and white shallow dish, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566)

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Lot 1358. A blue and white shallow dish, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566), 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 6,000 - USD 8,000. Price realised USD 10,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The shallow dish is decorated in the interior with five lotus blossoms amidst a leafy scroll, and on the reverse with cranes and dragons in flight amidst lingzhi

Property of the Lai family collection.

Christie'sFine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A large blue and white bowl, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th centuy

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A large blue and white bowl, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th centuy

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Lot 1513. A large blue and white bowl, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th centuy, 14 in. (35.6 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 7,000 - USD 9,000Price realised USD 7,500 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The exterior of the vessel is painted with a continuous riverscape including numerous pavilions, pagodas and sampans, with a similar riverscape in a medallion in the center of the interior and in a border below the rim

ProvenanceDr. Ralph C. Marcove (1929-2001) Collection, New York.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A large Longquan celadon carved dish, Ming dynasty, 15th century

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A large Longquan celadon carved dish, Ming dynasty, 15th centuy

Lot 1535. A large Longquan celadon carved dish, Ming dynasty, 15th century, 18 5/8 in. (47 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 8,000 - USD 12,000Price realised USD 8,125 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The dish is thickly potted with shallow rounded sides, and is carved in the interior with flowering tree peony within a barbed petal panel, below a band of undulating peony scroll in the well, all under a glaze of olive-green tone that continues over the foot rim to an unglazed ring on the base burnt orange in the firing

Provenance: Private collection, Germany.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A fine early Ming Longquan celadon carved deep bowl, Yongle period (1403-1425)

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A fine early Ming Longquan celadon carved deep bowl , Yongle period (1403-1425)

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Lot 1547. A fine early Ming Longquan celadon carved deep bowl, Yongle period (1403-1425), 8 3/8 in. (21.4 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000Price realised USD 25,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The bowl has deep rounded sides carved on the exterior with chrysanthemum, lotus and peony blossoms between borders of classic scroll and lotus petals, and the interior is carved with a dense floral scroll comprised of the same flowers surrounding a branch bearing two peaches in a central medallion. The bowl is covered with an even, grey-green glaze, with the exception of the base, Japanese wood box

Provenance: Private collection, Kansai, Japan, since the 19th century.

NoteThe carved decoration on this bowl relates closely to the designs found on blue and white bowls that were produced at the same time during the early Ming period. There are numerous examples of Yongle and Xuande porcelain bowls with dense lotus scrolls or composite floral scrolls on the exterior and on the interior encircling a central floral medallion. One such example is the Yongle bowl illustrated by John A. Pope, Chinese Porcelain from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington D.C., 1956, pl. 47 (top left). 

An early Ming Longquan celadon example with similar classic scroll below the rim, instead of the more common key-fret border, is in the collection of Seikado Bunko Art Musuem, Tokyo, and illustrated in Longquan Ware: Chinese Celadon Beloved of the Japanese, Japan, 2012, p. 82, pl. 93.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A Longquan celadon shrine of the South Sea Guanyin, Early Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

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A Longquan celadon shrine of the South Sea Guanyin, Early Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

Lot 1550. A Longquan celadon shrine of the South Sea Guanyin, Early Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century,10 in. (25.4 cm.) high. Estimate USD 10,000 - USD 15,000. Price realised USD 10,000© Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The figure of Guanyin is left in the biscuit and shown seated on a cloth-draped ledge within a grotto framed by vertical outcroppings of rocks and scrolling clouds that rise towards further clouds and the moon above, while two acolytes are shown standing below. 

Note : The South Sea Guanyin is a manifestation of the bodhisattvaAvalokiteshvara, particular to Chinese Buddhism, who resides at her South Sea island abode, Potalaka. For a further discussion of the South Sea Guanyin see Kaikodo Journal, Spring 2000, pp. 224-25, no. 73, from the collection of Stanley Herzman, later sold at Christie's New York, 20 September 2002, lot 308. Another similar shrine was also sold at Christie's New York, 19-20 September 2013, lot 1285. See, also, a shrine of larger size in the Illustrated Catalogue of the Tokyo National Museum: Chinese Ceramics II, Tokyo, 1990, p. 20, no. 520; and another illustrated in Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 68.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York


An unusual small Longquan celadon censer and cover, Ming dynasty, 16th century

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An unusual small Longquan celadon censer and cover, Ming dynasty, 16th century

Lot 1551. An unusual small Longquan celadon censer and cover, Ming dynasty, 16th century; 6 ½ in. (16.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 12,000 - USD 18,000. Price realised USD 23,750 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The square censer is decorated on the sides with floral sprigs and is supported on the shoulders of four kneeling human figures, raised on an integral openwork base. The cover is surmounted by a Buddhist lion seated with its left paw resting on a beribboned brocade ball. The whole is covered in a glaze of sea-green color, Japanese wood box, cloth cover

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

 

A Longquan celadon petal-carved bowl, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

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A Longquan celadon petal-carved bowl, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

Lot 1552. A Longquan celadon petal-carved bowl, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 5 in. (12.7 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000. Price realised USD 6,250 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The rounded sides are carved as petals bound by a bowstring band, and the bowl is covered inside and out with a glaze of sea-green color that continues over the foot and onto the base to the edge of an unglazed circle burnt brick-red in the firing

ProvenanceUraganu Sokya Do Co. Ltd, Japan, 2007.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A Longquan celadon carved jar, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

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A Longquan celadon carved jar, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

Lot 1559. A Longquan celadon carved jar, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century, 13 in. (33 cm.) wide. Estimate USD 20,000 - USD 30,000. Price realised USD 23,750 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The rounded sides are carved as petals bound by a bowstring band, and the bowl is covered inside and out with a glaze of sea-green color that continues over the foot and onto the base to the edge of an unglazed circle burnt brick-red in the firing, wood cover with jade finial

NoteThe same characters, jinyu mantang, are carved in the petals of a flower head in the center of a Longuan celadon bowl, dated 15th century, sold at Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 332.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A small Longquan celadon jar and cover, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

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A small Longquan celadon jar and cover, Ming dynasty (1368-1644)

Lot 1560. A small Longquan celadon jar and cover, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 2 1/8 in. (5.3 cm.) high. Estimate USD 3,000 - USD 5,000. Price realised USD 1,875 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The jar has a compressed globular body and the cover is molded with a central blossom. Both are covered with a glaze of blue-green ton, box

Note: The same characters, jinyu mantang, are carved in the petals of a flower head in the center of a Longuan celadon bowl, dated 15th century, sold at Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 332.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

A Longquan celadon tripod bulb bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

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A Longquan celadon tripod bulb bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century

Lot 1563. A Longquan celadon tripod bulb bowl, Ming dynasty, 14th-15th century, 12 ½ in. (31.7 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 5,000 - USD 7,000. Price realised USD 6,250 © Christie's Images Ltd 2016

The compressed body is raised on three curved mask supports and carved around the sides with the Eight Trigrams (bagua) between bands of bosses. The whole is covered in a glaze of rich sea-green color, revealing the burnt-red body in the center decorated with a molded flower medallion, wood stand

NoteA similar Longquan celadon bulb bowl, but decorated with a fucharacter in the interior, is illustrated by Bo Gyllensvärd in Chinese Ceramics in The Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1965, p. 65, no. 157. Another similar bulb bowl is illustrated in Chinese Celadons and Other Related Wares in Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian Ceramic Society, Singapore, 1979, pl. 179.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art part I, 17 - 18 March 2016, New York

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