Art and Auctions

Author: Shi Shuqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-11-12
Features:
A significant number of Ming Wanli porcelain have flowed from mainland China to overseas, leading to a decline in their prices. The Wanli blue-and-white porcelain baby-playing box (No. 574), with a zitan lid, features exquisite and interesting painting, but with flaws at the bottom. Whether it can sell for 120,000 is still uncertain. The Ming blue-and-white double mandarin duck water dropper should have been trade porcelain for export to Southeast Asia. It is similar to the Wanli blue-and-white pen box in terms of being part of the "Four Treasures of the Study." According to the Christie's auctioneer, the company included the water dropper to cater to Southeast Asian buyers, but its estimated price is relatively high.
Chinese porcelain reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty, and by the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns, it reached an even higher level. Not only was the official kiln revived in Jingdezhen, but numerous exquisite porcelain pieces with named kiln marks also emerged from the "official kilns supported by private kilns."
Qing Dynasty porcelain inherited Ming traditions, with fine and impurity-free bodies, improved glazing techniques, and clearer, purer glaze colors, especially in Yongzheng porcelain, which was as translucent and smooth as jade.
Kangxi porcelain, in terms of variety and shape, was exceptionally diverse. It not only developed the Ming Zhengde period's simple three-color glaze but also pioneered enamel glaze, further creating the precious and delicate famille rose glaze based on it. Additionally, there was the Lang Kiln named after court minister Lang Tingji, which produced red glaze and green Lang glaze. The red bean-shaped glaze, often used for scholarly utensils, also originated during the Kangxi era.
In terms of form, apart from common vases, cups, and plates, various shapes of incense burners and storage boxes inherited from the Yuan and Ming dynasties also appeared, with innovations such as "incorporating ancient and modern styles with a fresh touch."
The Yongzheng painted crane famille rose bowl—a focal point of the sale—combined craftsmanship with art. The painting techniques on porcelain had moved beyond the flat-filling method of the Ming period. Kangxi's artisans drew inspiration from renowned Chinese painters and applied these techniques to porcelain. The Kangxi (five-color) vase at Christie's in late September is a stunning painting of five elders, a unique narrative and dramatic scene in Qing Dynasty porcelain.
Another feature of Kangxi porcelain is the frequent use of calligraphy as decoration, with blue-and-white or underglaze red inkwells filled with poetry and prose. Christie's blue-and-white inkwell, written in small regular script in the Han Dynasty's "A Sage Ruler Receives Worthy Ministers," ends with an underglaze red seal of "Xichao Bogu." The base has been repaired, and its estimated price is as high as 250,000. The blue-and-white character "Shou" inkwell (No. 646) is also damaged, with an estimated price of 80,000 to 100,000, which seems too high.
The Qianlong Emperor followed Kangxi's tradition, with the coral red small bowl (No. 627) adorned with imperial verses and auspicious cloud patterns. Emperor Jiaqing also enjoyed writing poems in red ink on small plates, surrounded by green-ground red and blue floral designs. Such porcelain has always been treasured by collectors. The pair of Jiaqing-era small plates (No. 750), with elegant and refined designs, feature the same verses as the previous piece, with an estimated price of 60,000 to 80,000.
Although the Yongzheng Emperor reigned for only thirteen years, porcelain craftsmanship reached an unprecedented level. He was passionate about porcelain and personally reviewed and approved official kiln shapes and patterns, prohibiting their production without permission, showing his extreme. This Yongzheng ink-ground green-glaze vase has elegant, flawless lines and a superb painting of rocks, water, orchids, and lingzhi. However, with minor flaws, its estimated price would have been even higher if not for them.
Yongzheng's imitation Chenghua famille rose glaze, particularly the chicken cup and the "Heaven" character jar, was especially outstanding.