88
AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL ROBIN'S EGG VASE, ZUN, China, Qianlong (1735-1796) mark and period
h. 30 cm
Elegantly and strongly shaped, potted in a baluster form with steep sides and a high shoulder rising to a broad, narrow-waisted neck culminating in a thick rim, the neck is adorned with a pair of archaic 'C'-shaped symbols; is completely covered with a rich, thick opaque glaze of turquoise and purplish-blue tones finely mottled, except for the brown foot; in the centre of the base it bears the impressed six-character seal mark of the Qianlong Emperor. It stands on its beautiful zitan wood stand, pierced and engraved in the centre with a flower and on the sides with floral motifs. Inside there is an old cartouche and the business card of D.C. Monk and Son.
Provenance: purchased by D.C. Monk & Son in London in 1973 and in a private European collection since then.
Catalogue notes:
Invented during the Yongzheng period (1723-35) and particularly favoured by Emperor Qianlong, the 'robin's egg' glaze was created as a reinterpretation of the Jun glazes of the Song (960-1279) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. This glaze, attributed to Tang Ying (1682-1756), was called lu jun, or 'kiln-fired Jun', because it was fired at a lower temperature than porcelain. This glaze is mentioned on a stele inscribed by Tang Ying in Jingdezhen as one of the main types of pottery he was able to fire and which he proposed as suitable for regular delivery to the imperial court. Although some vases covered with this striking glaze were produced in the imperial kilns, only the most valuable pieces bear a Yongzheng or Qianlong mark.
Vases of this type are rare and only a small number of related specimens in other monochrome glazes, evocative of the Song dynasty, are known. Compare the Ge-type vase illustrated in Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, Regina Krahl, London, 1994, pl. 877. See also the engraved celadon vase in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, number 中瓷001183N0000000.
For a flambé glazed example see the vase sold by Christie's, live auction number 7878, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 09 November 2010, London, lot. 218. See also the tea-dust glazed vase sold by Sotheby's, Important Chinese Art, 08 April 2023, Hong Kong, lot. 3707.
* PREMIUM lot: only room or telephone bids are accepted for this lot, online participation will not be possible.
清乾隆 炉钧釉双云耳尊
此尊体满施炉均釉，清晰自然的流散形同缕缕山泉，给人一种变幻莫测、扑朔迷离之感，为炉钧釉之佳器。底暗刻“大清乾隆年制”六字三行篆书款。 镂空缠枝莲纹紫檀木底座，
此类器皿极为罕见，示例，请参见佳士得拍卖的花瓶，现场拍卖编号 7878，中国陶瓷和艺术品，2010 年 11 月 9 日，伦敦，拍品。 218. 另见苏富比拍卖的重要的中国艺术，2023 年 4 月 8 日，香港，拍品。 3707.
* 此重要拍品仅接受现场或电话投标，无法在线参与。