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Vase with dish-shaped mouth, Southern China, Sui dynasty (581-618)

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Vase with dish-shaped mouth, Southern China, Sui dynasty (581-618)

Vase with dish-shaped mouth, Southern China, Sui dynasty (581-618). High fired ceramic with grooved decoration, hand-sculpted details and grayish glaze. H. 14 3/4 in x W. 9 in, H. 37.5 cm x W. 22.8 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, B60P160© 2017 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

Developed over several centuries, vessels with dish-shaped mouths and multiple handles were universally produced during the Six Dynasties. The protruding banded neck, however, did not appear on such vases until the fifth century. The configuration seen in this vase was achieved only during the Sui, mostly concentrated in the area of Anhui (KG1977.5: 359; WW 1984.9: 96) and Shandong (KG 1985.1: 37). The piece exemplifies a stunningly magnificent version of a short-lived celadon, its kiln of manufacture not yet ascertained.


A Rare Large High-Fired Early White Ware Cup, Sui-early Tang dynasty, 6th-7th century

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A Rare Large High-Fired Early White Ware Cup, Sui-early Tang dynasty, 6th-7th century

Lot 10. A Rare Large High-Fired Early White Ware Cup, Sui-early Tang dynasty, 6th-7th century, Falk Collection no. 38; 4 7/8in. (12.9cm.) diam. Estimate USD 3,000 - USD 5,000Price realised USD 7,638 © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

The deep thinly potted sides flaring slightly towards the rim, covered inside and out with a finely crackled transparent glaze stopping short of the splayed solid foot with beveled edge to expose the fine white ware

ProvenanceC.T. Loo, New York, December 1949. 

LiteratureH. Munsterberg, The Arts of China, 1972, no. 63. 

NoteWhile European potters did not succeed in making porcelain until the eighteenth century, recent excavations have shown that fine, delicate, translucent, white porcelain was being made in north China some eleven or twelve hundred years earlier, in the Sui dynasty (AD 581-618) at the Xing kilns at Neiqiu in Hebei province, although it appears that the northern potters had to add potash feldspar to the body composition in order to achieve translucency at a reasonable firing temperature. The majority of the high-fired white wares of the Sui period, however, were not translucent, but some, like this cup, were extremely finely potted, of elegant form, and good white color. Both the Xing kilns in Hebei province and the Gongxian kilns in Henan made these very fine white wares, which have been described as 'near-porcelain'.

The Falk cup is an unusually large example of this type. Cups similar to the Falk cup and dated to the Sui dynasty have been excavated at the site of the Xing kiln and are illustrated in Wenwu 1987: 9, pp. 4-5, figs. 6 and 10-4. A set of five smaller cups of this type, with a white-glazed tray, are illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 11, Sui Tang, M. Sato and G. Hasabe (eds.), Tokyo, 1976, p. 37-8, nos. 22-24, and four more cups with tray are illustrated by, R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994, vol. I, pp. 122-3, nos. 200 and 201. The larger size, represented by the Falk cup, is, however, represented in the collection of the Henan Provincial Museum. 

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York

A Very Rare and Fine Blue and White Bowl, Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period

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A Very Rare and Fine Blue and White Bowl Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435)

Lot 134. A Very Rare and Fine Blue and White Bowl, Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435); 7 5/8in. (19.4cm.) diam. Falk Collection no. 243. Estimate USD 300,000 - USD 500,000Price realised USD 1,161,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

The gently rounded sides finely painted on the exterior with an immortal, possibly Xiwangmu, seated on the back of a phoenix flying above an island-dotted lake towards the shore where a figure sits within a pavilion shaded by a willow tree, the scene interrupted on one side by two trees within billowing clouds, all below a double-line border and above a band of classic scroll encircling the foot, the interior plain, fitted box, stand.

ProvenanceM.C. Wang Collection, Shanghai.
Edward T. Chow Collection.
Mathias Komor, New York, 1953. 

LiteratureH.D. Ling and E. T. Chow, Collection of Chinese Ceramics from the Hall of Leisurely Pastime, in two volumes, Hong Kong, 1950, vol. II, p. 69, no. 91.
M. Komor, Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, New York, 1951, no. 30.
C. Osgood, Blue and White Chinese Porcelain: A Study of Form, New York, 1956, pl. 38. 

ExhibitedMing Porcelains: A Retrospective, New York, China House Gallery, China Institute in America, 1970 - 1971, no. 13.
The Real, the Fake, and the Masterpiece, New York, The Asia Society Galleries, 1988, no. 23. 

NoteThis bowl belongs to a group of imperial wares that may be considered to be among the finest of all Xuande porcelains. The bowls and dishes in this group are decorated with extremely well-painted figures in landscape, often with pavilions. Judging from the examples that have been preserved in the palace collections, these were greatly favored by succeeding Chinese emperors.

A bowl of the same size and with identical decoration to that on the Falk bowl is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, and illustrated in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, pp. 350-1, no. 148, where the decoration is described as 'court ladies playing the vertical flute to attract phoenixes'. A second bowl with the same decoration as the Falk bowl is in the collection of the British Museum, London.

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York

A Fine Anhua-Decorated Blue and White Conical Bowl, Xuande six-character mark and of the period (1426-1435)

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A Fine Anhua-Decorated Blue and White Conical Bowl, Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435)

Lot 135. A Fine Anhua-Decorated Blue and White Conical Bowl, Xuande six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435); 8in. (20.3cm.) diam. Falk Collection no. 247. Estimate USD 250,000 - USD 350,000Price realised USD 358,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

Painted in rich underglaze blue on the exterior with a scrolling leafy stem bearing six large herbaceous peony blossoms alternating with buds above a band of overlapping petal tips, and on the interior with a mallow blossom in the center below anhua decoration of scrolling flowers under the glaze, box.

ProvenanceEdward T. Chow Collection.
Mathias Komor, New York, December 1951.

Literature: H.D. Ling and E.T. Chow, Complete Collection of Ming Dynasty Kingtehchen Porcelain from the Hall of Disciplined Learning, in two volumes, Hong Kong, 1950, vol. I, no. 44, p. 32.
M. Komor, Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, New York, 1951, no. 28.  

Note: This is one of the most elegant bowl designs made at the imperial kilns in the Xuande reign. A bowl of the same size with exactly the same decoration as the Falk bowl is in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, and is illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, pp. 176-7, no. 61. One of these bowls is also in the collection of the Shanghai Museum and is illustrated by Wang Qingzheng in Underglaze Blue and Red, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 88, no. 61. Another Xuande bowl of the same size is in the collection of the Percival David Foundation, illustrated by R. Scott in Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration - Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain, Singapore, 1992, p. 45, no. 34. It is interesting to note that these bowls were so admired by the Qianlong emperor that he had close copies made at the imperial kilns during his reign, as shown by the Qianlong example in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated in Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration, p. 147, no. 168.

Bowl with lotus flowers, Ming dynasty, Xuande mark and period, AD1426–35

Bowl with lotus flowers, Ming dynasty, Xuande mark and period, AD1426–35

Bowl with lotus flowers, Ming dynasty, Xuande mark and period, AD1426–35

Bowl with lotus flowers, Ming dynasty, Xuande mark and period, AD1426–35. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue and anhua decoration, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. 7,6 x 20,8 cm. Percival David Foundation, PDF B636 © 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

A larger bowl of the same proportions with the same scrolling peony band in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 153, no. 145. The Palace bowl, however, has lotus petals around the base and a blackberry lily scroll around the foot. Another of these larger bowls is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, and illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum - Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book II part 2, Hong Kong, 1963, pp. 120-1, pl. 41, while a further large bowl, with flowerheads on the foot, from the National Palace Museum, is illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynastyop.cit., pp. 152-3, no. 49.

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York 

A Rare Blue and White Lobed Jardinière, Ming dynasty, early 15th century

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A Rare Blue and White Lobed Jardinière, Ming dynasty, early 15th century

Lot 129. A Rare Blue and White Lobed Jardinière, Ming dynasty, early 15th century; 8 9/16in. (21.7cm.). Falk Collection no. 251. Estimate USD 120,000 - USD 150,000Price realised USD 270,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

The deep, flared sides unusually shaped as four bracket lobes rising to an everted rim, each lobe well painted in inky tones of underglaze blue with a different branching stem bearing two flowers, including peony, camellia, lotus and magnolia, raised on a pedestal base with four cloud-shaped feet joined by a shaped apron and painted with small detached flower sprigs, box and stand.

ProvenanceEdward T. Chow Collection.
Mathias Komor, New York, 1953. 

LiteratureH. D. Ling and E. T. Chow, Complete Collection of Ming Dynasty Kingtehchen Porcelain from the Hall of Disciplined Learning, in two volumes, Hong Kong, 1950, vol. I, no. 21, p. 18

ExhibitedNeolithic to Ming, Chinese Objects - The Myron S. Falk Collection, Northampton, Massachusetts, Smith College Museum of Art, 1957, no. 33.
Chinese, Japanese and Korean Ceramics, Durham, North Carolina, Duke University Museum of Art, 1986, no. 42

Note: This is an exceedingly rare vessel, but one entirely in keeping with the aesthetics of the early 15th century. Lobed flower pots of somewhat simpler form were made in the Song dynasty, as can be seen from the Ge ware example now in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua Daquan, Taipei, 1993, p. 262, no. 302, and elaborate feet and flattened rims were seen on hexagonal flower pots with molded floral decoration and Longquan celadon glaze discovered on the Sinan wreck, as illustrated in The Sunken Treasure off the Sinan Coast, Japan, 1983, p. 36, no. 27. The four-lobed, oval shape was likened to a begonia and was popular at various kilns, including the Jun kilns, as can be seen from an example bearing a palace inscription in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing; see Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I): The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum, Li Huibing (ed.), Hong Kong, 1996, no. 20. It was also adopted at Jingdezhen, as evidenced by an example with cloud-shaped feet excavated in 1977 from a tomb dated to AD 1205 at Zhangshu, Jiangxi, illustrated in Dated Qingbai Ware of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Peng Shifan (ed.), Hong Kong, 1998, no. 62.

A jardinière of the same shape, size and major decoration in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 134, no. 126, where the shape is described as that of a water chestnut flower, and the vessel is attributed to the Xuande reign. The Palace example is not so well painted as the Falk jardinière, especially around the base area. 

The style of painting of the peony sprays on the sides of the Falk vessel accords closely with the painting of the peony spray in the center of the dish excavated from the Yongle strata at Zhushan in 1988 and included in the exhibition, Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, pp. 170-1, no. 53. 

Vessels excavated from the site of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen bear witness to the popularity of porcelain flower pots, both monochrome and decorated, at the early Ming court. Of particular interest are two jardinières excavated from the Xuande strata, illustrated in Xuande Imperial Porcelain excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1998, pp. 40-1, nos. 34-2 and 36. One of these is hexagonal and the other rectangular. Both have flattened rims and both are decorated in underglaze blue, but the hexagonal vessel also has overglaze iron-red decoration. An interesting feature of both is that they have solid bases, on which the cloud-shaped feet have been painted, rather than being cut as on the possibly earlier Falk jardinière. This was no doubt due to the fact that the weight of these vessels rendered firing on feet difficult, with the result that the potters in the Xuande reign chose the easier option of merely painting the feet. The rectangular flower pot has only narrow bands standing in slight relief at the top and bottom of the foot, while the hexagonal vessel has a protruding flange, like the Falk piece.

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York

A Fine and Rare Blue and White Brushwasher, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566)

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A Fine and Rare Blue and White Brushwasher, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566)

Lot 143. A Fine and Rare Blue and White Brushwasher, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566); 6 3/8in. (16.2cm.) diam. Falk Collection no. 248. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000Price realised USD 204,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

The deep, slightly flared sides subtly molded as eight petals rising to a slightly everted rim, painted in rich tones of underglaze blue with a central medallion of fish swimming amidst water weeds repeated in a frieze on the exterior, the edges of the unglazed foot rim burnt orange in the firing, box and stand.

Provenance: Bluett & Sons, London.  

NoteWhile a number of dishes with this design are known, brushwashers are very rare. A blue and white Jiajing brushwasher of similar size, shape and decoration to the Falk example is in the collection of the National Palace Museum, and illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum - Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book V, Hong Kong, 1963, pp. 62-3, pl. 21. And another is illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1987, Part I, no. 41. This design can also be seen on an earlier Xuande-marked example in the collection of Peter Boode, illustrated in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-6, no. 1468. This design was also used to decorate underglaze blue shallow dishes in the Jiajing reign as can be seen from two slightly different examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (II), Hong Kong, 2000, pp. 138-9, nos. 127-8, which in turn copied dishes of the Xuande reign, like the example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in volume (I) of the same series, p. 144, no. 136, and the example, which is very close to the Falk brushwasher, excavated from the site of the imperial kiln at Jingdezhen in 1993 and illustrated in Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi, Beijing, 1999, p. 198, no. 160.

Fish have been a favorite motif for Chinese ceramic decorators for centuries because the word for fish (yu) is a homonym for the word for abundance or plenty. The particular design on the Falk brushwasher, however, provides an additional, more complex rebus since the fish depicted are intended to represent a mullet, sole, bream and perch. The names for these fish in Chinese are pronounced qing, bai, lian and gui, which combine to sound like the phrase qingbai liangui, meaning 'of good descent, modest and honorable'. Thus, if presented as a gift, such a brushwasher would pay a most gracious compliment to the recipient.

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York

A Fine Early Ming White-Glazed Bowl with Incised and Anhua Decoration, Lianci, Yongle period (1403-1425)

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A Fine Early Ming White-Glazed Bowl with Incised and Anhua Decoration, Lianci, Yongle period (1403-1425)

Lot 132. A Fine Early Ming White-Glazed Bowl with Incised and Anhua Decoration, Lianci, Yongle period (1403-1425); 8 1/4in. (21cm.) diam. Falk Collection no. 249. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000Price realised USD 110,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2001

Finely potted with deep rounded sides incised on the exterior with a band of slender petals rising from the foot to a band of incised key fret at the rim, the interior decorated in anhua with a central chrysanthemum sprig below a band of leafy scroll alternately bearing three chrysanthemum and three peony blossoms in the well and a narrow band of waves below the rim, all beneath a white glaze of subtle bluish tone, box and stand.

ProvenanceM.C. Wang Collection, Shanghai.
Edward T. Chow Collection.
Mathias Komor, 1953

LiteratureH.D. Ling and E.T. Chow, Collections of Chinese Ceramics from the Hall of Leisurely Pastime, in two volumes, Hong Kong, 1950, vol. II, no. 86, pp. 64-5, where it is described as a pair [with listings no. 208/collection no. 250].
M. Komor, Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, New York, 1951, no. 23, where it is also described as a pair [with listing no. 208/collection no. 250]

ExhibitedMing Porcelains, A Retrospective, New York, China House Gallery, China Institute in America, 1970, no. 8

Note: The incised and molded decoration on this bowl is closely linked to blue and white porcelains of the same period, such as the bowl from the Eli Lilly Collection, Indianapolis Museum of Art, illustrated by S. Valenstein in the catalogue for the exhibition, Ming PorcelainsA Retrospective, 1970, p. 33, no. 5, where one can clearly see the interior decoration, which is not as easily discernable in the anhua rendition of the present bowl. According to the author, the blue and white example does not have a chrysanthemum sprig in the center.

Christie's. THE FALK COLLECTION I: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS & WORKS OF ART, 16 October 2001, New York

Incense burner with decoration of the Eight Immortals venerating the god of longevity, Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571

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Incense burner with decoration of the Eight Immortals venerating the god of longevity, Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571

Incense burner with decoration of the Eight Immortals venerating the god of longevity, Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571

Incense burner with decoration of the Eight Immortals venerating the god of longevity, Ming dynasty, Longqing period, dated 1571. Jingdezhen ware; porcelain with underglaze blue decoration. Overall: 15 cm (5 7/8 in.) Other (diameter of mouth): 20 cm (7 7/8 in.). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. F. Gordon Morrill, 1979.783© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.


Sculpture of Xuanwu (Daoist deity of the North), Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573–1619)

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Sculpture of Xuanwu (Daoist deity of the North), Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573–1619)

Sculpture of Xuanwu (Daoist deity of the North), Ming dynasty, Wanli period (1573–1619). Jingdezhen-ware porcelain painted in underglaze blue. Overall: 46 x 20 x 15cm (18 1/8 x 7 7/8 x 5 7/8in.). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. F. Gordon Morrill, 1979.785© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

ProvenanceMorrill family purchased figure from the Asian art dealer Aronson in 1967. Morrill received a temporary import permit to bring the statue to Italy during the late 60s early 70s. Returned to the USA in 1976.

Large plate with blue-and-white decoration of grapevine and flowers, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1402–24)

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Large plate with blue-and-white decoration of grapevine and flowers, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1402–24)

Large plate with blue-and-white decoration of grapevine and flowers, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1402–24)

Large plate with blue-and-white decoration of grapevine and flowers, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1402–24). Porcelain, Jingdezhen ware painted in underglaze blue. Overall: 8.1 x 43.8 cm (3 3/16 x 17 1/4 in.). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. F. Gordon Morrill, 1981.745© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

ProvenanceAcquired by Morrill through Collection of H. W. W. Hoskyns, Esq. J.P.; sold at Sotheby's, May 16, 1967 through Spink and Son, Ltd., London.

Incense burner, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

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Incense burner, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)

Incense burner, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Porcelaneous stoneware, Longquan ware, 16.6 x 22 cm (6 9/16 x 8 11/16 in.). Gift of Mrs. Horatio Greenough Curtis in memory of her husband Horatio Greenough Curtis, 23.236© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Wine jar, Ming dynasty, 14th century

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Wine jar, Ming dynasty, 14th century

Wine jar, Ming dynasty, 14th century. Porcelaneous stoneware, Longquan ware. Overall: 39 cm (15 3/8 in.) Other (diameter of mouth): 7 cm (2 3/4 in.) Other (diameter of foot): 11 cm (4 5/16 in.). John Gardner Coolidge Collection, 46.517© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Garlic-headed vase with blue-and-white decoration of crab, fish and shrimp, Ming dynasty, Wanli mark and period (1572–1620)

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Garlic-headed vase with blue-and-white decoration of crab, fish and shrimp, Ming dynasty, Wanli mark and period (1572–1620)

Garlic-headed vase with blue-and-white decoration of crab, fish and shrimp, Ming dynasty, Wanli mark and period (1572–1620). Porcelain; decorated in underglaze blue, 55.5 x 25.2 cm (21 7/8 x 9 15/16 in.). Gift of Charles Bain Hoyt, 49.24© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Vase, Ming dynasty–Qing dynasty (1368–1911)

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Vase, Ming dynasty–Qing dynasty (1368–1911)

Vase, Ming dynasty–Qing dynasty (1368–1911). Porcelaneous stoneware, Longquan ware, 16.5 x 7 cm (6 1/2 x 2 3/4 in.). Gift of Frank Gair Macomber and Francis Stewart Kershaw, 23.606© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Kendi in the form of a frog, Late Ming dynasty, Wanli period, early 17th century

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Kendi in the form of a frog, Late Ming dynasty, Wanli period, early 17th century

Kendi in the form of a frog, Late Ming dynasty, Wanli period, early 17th century. Porcelain, Jingdezhen ware with brass fitting, 15.3 cm (6 in.). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George Washington Wales, 95.438© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston


Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Artist in his Studio, about 1628

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Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Artist in his Studio, about 1628. Oil on panel, 24.8 x 31.7cm (9 3/4 x 12 1/2in.), Zoe Oliver Sherman Collection given in memory of Lillie Oliver Poor, 38.1838© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

In this small painting, the young Rembrandt seems to represent the daunting moments of conception and decision necessary to the creation of a work of art. An artist confronts his easel in a studio bare of everything except his essential tools. This drama, with its emphasis on thought rather than action, is intensified by the expressive use of light and shadow. The painting’s daring perspective is also important: the distant figure of the painter seems dwarfed by his work, looming large in the foreground.

Provenance: Chevalier Antoine de la Roque (b. 1672 - d. 1744), Paris; April, 1745, posthumous La Roque sale, Gersaint, Paris, lot 65, to Nelson. 1773, Le Favre and Jean Baptiste Pierre Le Brun (b. 1748 - d. 1813), Paris; January 11, 1773, Le Favre and Le Brun sale, Basan, Paris, lot 25. George Douglas (b. 1761 - d. 1827), 16th Earl of Morton and his wife, Susan Elizabeth Buller-Yarde-Buller (b. 1793 - d. 1849), Countess of Morton, Dalmahoy House, Kirknewton, Midlothian, Scotland [see note 1]; April 27, 1850, Countess of Morton sale, Christie's, London, lot 70, not sold [see note 2]; passed to the Countess of Morton's brother, John Buller-Yarde-Buller (b. 1799 - d. 1871), 1st Baron Churston, Lupton, Devonshire; until 1925, by descent within the family; June 26, 1925, Lord Churston and others sale, Christie's, London, lot 14, sold for £1417.10 to Zink, probably for Robert Langton Douglas (b. 1864 - d. 1951), London [see note 3]. By 1926, Zoë Oliver (Mrs. Henry S.) Sherman, Boston [see note 4]; 1938, gift of Zoë Oliver Sherman to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 31, 1938)

Note: [1] In the 1926 Churston sale catalogue, the painting is said to be "formerly in the collection of the Right Hon. The Earl of Morton, at Dalmahoy, Kirknewton, Midlothian." The seller of the collection in 1850 was his (deceased) wife, the Dowager Countess of Morton. [2] The painting brought only six guineas when it was put up for auction in 1850. [3] Although published sale results give the purchaser as "Zink," Robert Langton Douglas is said to have acquired the painting by C. Hofstede de Groot, "Rembrandt's Painter in His Studio," Burlington Magazine 47, no. 272 (November, 1925): p. 265. [4] First published in her collection by W. R. Valentiner, "Two Early Self-Portraits by Rembrandt," Art in America 14 (1926): p. 118, fig. 1.

 

 

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Reverend Johannes Elison, 1634

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Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Reverend Johannes Elison, 1634. Oil on canvas, 174.0 x 124.5 cm (68 1/2 x 49 in.). William K. Richardson Fund, 56.510© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The Reverend Johannes Elison was the minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Norwich, England; his wife, Maria Bockenolle, is represented in the companion painting. The portraits were commissioned by their son, a wealthy Amsterdam merchant. Such life-size, full‑length portraits, a format typically associated with royal or noble patrons, were substantially more expensive than the more common bust or half‑length formats; Rembrandt painted only three full‑length pairs in his entire career. That the couple’s son could afford to commission these imposing paintings from Amsterdam’s leading portraitist says much about his social aspirations.

Inscription: Lower right: Rembrandt f 1634 

Provenance: 1634, commissioned by Johannes Elison the Younger (b. 1606 - d. 1677), Amsterdam; by inheritance to his sister, Ann Elison Dover (b. 1614 - d. 1681) and her husband, Daniel Dover (b. 1619 - d. 1702), Ludham, Norfolk, England; by descent through their daughter, Mary Dover Colby (b. 1649 - d. 1718) to the Colby family, Yarmouth, England; to Rev. Samuel Colby (b. 1781 - d. 1860), Little Ellingham Rectory, Norfolk, England [see note 1]; June 30, 1860, posthumous Colby sale, Christie, Manson and Woods, London, lots 22 and 23, sold for 1850 gns. to Fisher (dealer), London [see note 2]; 1863, sold by Fisher to Eugène Schneider (b. 1805 - d. 1875), Paris [see note 3]; April 6, 1876, Schneider sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, lots 29 and 30, bought in and sold by the estate to Schneider's son, Henri Schneider (b. 1840 - d. 1898), Paris; by descent within the family and, by 1956, sold by the Schneider family, Paris, to Rosenberg and Stiebel, New York [see note 4]; 1956, sold by Rosenberg and Stiebel to the MFA for $360,000 [see note 5]. (Accession Date: October 11, 1956)

Notes: [1] An English-language summary of the history of the portraits of Rev. Johannes Elison (b. about 1581 - d. 1639) and his wife, Maria Bockenolle (b. about 1590 - d. 1652), MFA accession nos. 56.510 and 56.511, can be found in J. Bruyn et al., A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings (Dordrecht, 1986), vol. 2, cat. A98, pp. 532-540 (with additional bibliography). They were commissioned by the sitters' son, Johannes Elison the Younger, in 1634, and were bequeathed by him to his siblings. The two portraits were recorded in Yarmouth as early as 1763 by Horace Walpole (see Anecdotes of Painting in England, London, 1828, p. 5), and specifically in the Colby collection by Sylas Neville; see The Diary of Sylas Neville: 1767-1788, ed. Basil Cozens-Hardy (London, 1950), pp. 176-177, entry for August 26, 1772. The provenance was first published in the 1860 Colby sale catalogue.

[2] See the Art Journal (London), August 1860, p. 247.

[3] On Schneider's acquisition of the portraits, see W. B., "Deux portraits innommés de Rembrandt," Révue Universelle des Arts 18 (1863): pp. 357-358, according to which Schneider purchased them in England. C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century (London, 1916), vol. 6, p. 310, cat. no. 645, states specifically that Fisher sold them to Schneider in 1863.

[4] According to a letter from Saemy Rosenberg to Thomas Maytham of the MFA (October 24, 1956). Henri's son, Eugène Schneider (b. 1868 - d. 1942), lent the pair to the Exhibition of Dutch Art, 1450-1900 (Royal Academy of Arts, London, January 4 - March 9, 1929), cat. nos. 83-84.

[5] The portraits of Rev. Elison and his wife were sold together for this price.

 

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Maria Bockenolle (Wife of Johannes Elison), 1634

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Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669), Maria Bockenolle (Wife of Johannes Elison), 1634. Oil on canvas, 174.9 x 124.1 cm (68 7/8 x 48 7/8 in.). William K. Richardson Fund, 56.511© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

During his early years in Amsterdam, Rembrandt’s innovative and fashionable portrait paintings were a key factor in his growing reputation. Reverend Johannes Elison was minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Norwich, England. In seventeenth century Dutch society, Protestant ministers were celebrated public figures. The portraits of Elison (MFA object no. 56.510) and his wife were probably commissioned by their son, a wealthy Amsterdam merchant. Such full-length portraits were substantially more costly than the more common bust and half-length formats. Rembrandt painted only three full-length portrait pairs, all about 1634, when he was trying to establish himself as an independent master. 

Inscription: Lower right: Rembrandt f 1634 

Provenance1634, commissioned by Johannes Elison the Younger (b. 1606 - d. 1677), Amsterdam; by inheritance to his sister, Ann Elison Dover (b. 1614 - d. 1681) and her husband, Daniel Dover (b. 1619 - d. 1702), Ludham, Norfolk, England; by descent through their daughter, Mary Dover Colby (b. 1649 - d. 1718) to the Colby family, Yarmouth, England; Rev. Samuel Colby (b. 1781 - d. 1860), Little Ellingham Rectory, Norfolk, England [see note 1]; June 30, 1860, posthumous Colby sale, Christie, Manson and Woods, London, lots 22 and 23, sold for 1850 gns. to Fisher (dealer), London [see note 2]; 1863, sold by Fisher to Eugène Schneider (b. 1805 - d. 1875), Paris [see note 3]; April 6, 1876, Schneider sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, lots 29 and 30, bought in and sold by the estate to Schneider's son, Henri Schneider (b. 1840 - d. 1898), Paris; by descent within the family and, by 1956, sold by the Schneider family, Paris, to Rosenberg and Stiebel, New York [see note 4]; 1956, sold by Rosenberg and Stiebel to the MFA for $360,000 [see note 5]. (Accession Date: October 11, 1956)

Notes: [1] An English-language summary of the history of the portraits of Rev. Johannes Elison (b. about 1581 - d. 1639) and his wife, Maria Bockenolle (b. about 1590 - d. 1652), MFA accession nos. 56.510 and 56.511, can be found in J. Bruyn et al., A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings (Dordrecht, 1986), vol. 2, cat. A98, pp. 532-540 (with additional bibliography). They were commissioned by the sitters' son, Johannes Elison the Younger, in 1634, and were bequeathed by him to his siblings. The two portraits were recorded in Yarmouth as early as 1763 by Horace Walpole (see Anecdotes of Painting in England, London, 1828, p. 5), and specifically in the Colby collection by Sylas Neville; see The Diary of Sylas Neville: 1767-1788, ed. Basil Cozens-Hardy (London, 1950), pp. 176-177, entry for August 26, 1772. The provenance was first published in the 1860 Colby sale catalogue.

[2] See the Art Journal (London), August 1860, p. 247.

[3] On Schneider's acquisition of the portraits, see W. B., "Deux portraits innommés de Rembrandt," Révue Universelle des Arts 18 (1863): pp. 357-358, according to which Schneider purchased them in England. C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch Painters of the Seventeenth Century (London, 1916), vol. 6, p. 310, cat. no. 645, states specifically that Fisher sold them to Schneider in 1863.

[4] According to a letter from Saemy Rosenberg to Thomas Maytham of the MFA (October 24, 1956). Henri's son, Eugène Schneider (b. 1868 - d. 1942), lent the pair to the Exhibition of Dutch Art, 1450-1900 (Royal Academy of Arts, London, January 4 - March 9, 1929), cat. nos. 83-84.

[5] The portraits of Rev. Elison and his wife were sold together for this price.

 

Isaak Soreau (German, active in second quarter, 17th century), Still Life with Grapes on a Platter

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Isaak Soreau (German, active in second quarter, 17th century), Still Life with Grapes on a Platter. Oil on panel, 60.7 x 89.8 cm (23 7/8 x 35 3/8 in.), Juliana Cheney Edwards Collection, 62.1129© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Provenance: Miss K. Ames, Holmdene, Burghfield, Berkshire, England; 1962, by descent to her nephew, W.A.R. Ames; June 29, 1962, sold Ames sale at Christie's, London [ as Ambrosius Bosschaert], no 113, and bought by Hallsborough Gallery, London, England in partnership with Julius H. Weitzner, London and NewYork [see note 1];1962, sold by Hallsborough Gallery and Weitzner to the MFA for $20,000. (Accession date: December 12, 1962)

Notes[1] according to a letter of January 23, 1963 from Susanne A. King, Manager, William Hallsborough Ltd. in curatorial file, this painting was bought by William Hallsborough Ltd. together with two other dealers, including Mr. Weitzner, "in whose name the actual purchase was effected." King also adds that the painting originally came from the collection of Miss K. Ames, at whose death it was left it to Mr. Ames and his sisters, who put it up for sale at Christie's.

Attributed to Frans Snyders (Flemish, 1579–1657), Vegetables and a Basket of Fruit on a Table

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Attributed to Frans Snyders (Flemish, 1579–1657), Vegetables and a Basket of Fruit on a Table. Oil on canvas, 83.8 x 95.9 cm (33 x 37 3/4 in.), Sidney Bartlett Bequest, 89.499© 2018 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Provenance: 1880, Paul Pavlovich Demidoff, 2nd Prince of San Donato (b. 1839 - d. 1885), Florence; March 15 - April 10, 1880, Demidoff sale, San Donato Palace, lot 1050 [see note 1], to Stanton Blake (b. 1837 - d. 1889), Boston; 1889, purchased under the will of Stanton Blake by the MFA. (Accession Date: December 24, 1889)

Notes[1] Attributed in the auction catalogue to Willem Kalf.

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