A Magnificent And Rare Blue And White 'Dragon And Phoenix' Jar, Yuan Dynasty - Photo Sotheby's
stoutly potted with full rounded sides rising to a gently waisted neck, flanked by a pair of animal mask handles, the body painted in bright inky shades of cobalt-blue with two scaly dragons pacing amongst scrolling clouds in pursuit of flaming pearls between classic scroll bands, all below a frieze of rising and descending phoenix among boughs of flowering peony, the neck encircled by a band of undulating lotus scrolls and the foot with a lappet band, applied with a metal rim and cover. Quantité: 2. 35cm. 13 3/4 in. Estimation: 400,000 - 600,000 GBP
PROVENANCE: Acquired by a European diplomat in Japan, prior to World War II.
A European private collection.
NOTE DE CATALOGUE: The Magnificent Yuan Dynasty ‘Dragon’ Guan. By Hajni Elias
In its material, form and design, the present magnificent guan is the classic representation of blue-and-white porcelain from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and represents a key stage in the formation of the shape known as guan. The banded decoration seen on this piece is unique in its design combination; in fact, no two Yuan jars are ever the same. However, the decoration encompasses many of the characteristic elements found on Yuan porcelain design, such as the lotus scroll, dragons, petal-panels or lappets and phoenix among flowers-heads.
The painting of the dragons on this jar is bold and free. The two mythical beasts are lively and animated with powerful yet elegant elongated bodies, impressive bulging eyes, long snouts and fierce looks. They are characteristic of the Yuan style that is generally confident and individual. The phoenixes amongst flowering peonies are painted in a more gentle and stylized manner, adding a softer touch to the overall composition. Yuan designs reflect the artistic freedom and innovative climate encouraged by the Mongol rulers at the time, who gave potters employed by the Fouling Porcelain Bureau, located in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province and established in 1278, carte blanche to create pieces that satisfied both domestic and export markets. In fact, following the technical perfection achieved with the making of large white-glazed wares and the availability of precious cobalt for decoration, there was no limit to the artistic expression that went into the making of blue-and-white pieces. Individually styled and exquisitely crafted wares became the new luxurious items of the 14th century, highly sought after by the Yuan court as well as other parts of the Mongol Empire, Central Asia and the Islamic world. Guan of this type, like much of the contemporary chargers, were especially made to suit the communal feasting traditions of the Mongols and other Central Asian communities and therefore large amounts were produced for the export markets.
The dragons seen here are reminiscent of that painted on the famous guan unearthed from the Yuan dynasty cellar at Gao’an, Jiangxi province, where over two-hundred ceramics pieces were found hidden. The Gao’an discovery gives us some context in which to place the present piece. A recent study suggests that the cellar was located in the residence of the official and the emperor’s son-in-law Wu Liangcheng, whose name is listed in the Tongzhi (r.1862- 1874) edition of Gao’an shen zhi. Renwu zhi. Wu’s father was also a government official and a man of considerable wealth. The family’s direct access to the court meant that they were either awarded pieces from the imperial palace or purchased them at a high price. The Gao’an jar is illustrated in The Porcelain from the Cellar of the Yuan Dynasty in Gao’an, Beijing, 2006, p. 46.
Similar dragons can also be found on a dated pair of temple vases, from the collection of Sir Percival David and now in the British Museum, London. The ‘David’ vases bear a commemorative inscription dedicating the pieces to a Daoist temple in Yushan district, Jiangxi province, in the 11th year of the Zhizheng reign (corresponding to 1351). Dated blue and white wares of the Yuan dynasty are extremely rare and these vases provide essential information on the rapid development in porcelain technology in the 14th century. The vases are illustrated in numerous publications, including Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 6, New York, 1982, col. pl. 25, with one of the pair sold in these rooms, 6th June 1935, lot 89, from the Charles E. Russell collection.
See also the two large dragons a guan of this type in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, included in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 196; and the dragons on a jar in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, included in the Exhibition of Blue and White Wares in Yuan Dynasty: 14th Century Ching-te Chen Wares, Osaka Municipal Art Museum, Osaka, 1985, cat. no. 4. A closely related single dragon is painted below the neck on a jar in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, illustrated in Zhu Yuping, Yuan dai qinghua ci, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 4-13, and also in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, London, 1986, pl. 586. Compare also a jarsold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2007, lot 838, with a related dragon design band on the body, below a stylized peony scroll band.
The Yuan period was a small window between two great Chinese dynasties of ceramics production, the Song and the Ming. Potters at Jingdezhen were encouraged to be innovative with their art form and served a ruler that was enterprising and international in outlook. Ceramics production was thereby stimulated by both international and domestic commercial demands and influences. The present guan with its traditional Chinese decorative motifs combined with the foreign nature of its shape is truly original and advanced. The provenance history of the guan is also of historical importance. The jar was acquired by a European diplomat in Japan before World War II, being part of a wider private collection. After the 1930s, it became part of his ‘diplomatic’ belongings, even during the years spent in a prison camp. After the war, the collection, including the jar, was shipped to his family home in Europe where it stayed in the hands of his family for two further generations.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. London | 07 nov. 2012 www.sothebys.com