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Lot Essay
The Qianlong Emperor was deeply fascinated by ancient antiques and encouraged court craftsmen to imitate and reproduce them. This fondness for antiquarianism is evident in the shape of the present vase, which is modeled after an archaic bronze hu vessel. The broad shoulder and the pair of taotie-mask ring handles of the vase closely resemble features seen in ancient bronzes, such as one illustrated in the Qianlong Emperor's collection catalogue of archaic bronzes, Xiqing gujian, vol. 20, no. 15. (Fig. 1)
The Qianlong Emperor also had a particular appreciation for the teadust glaze. According to Qing Imperial archives, on the 25th day of the 6th month of the third year of his reign (1761), the emperor was presented with a variety of teadust-glazed vases in different shapes, underscoring his fondness for this specific glaze. The origins of glaze resembling teadust color can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, but its production flourished during the Yongzheng period under the supervision of Tang Ying, the legendary director of the Qing dynasty’s imperial kiln. For an in-depth discussion of the technical development of teadust glaze, see Chen Runmin and Yang Jingrong’s article, “Discussion on Teadust Glaze,” published in the Palace Museum Journal, Beijing, 2004, vol. 1, pp. 112-7. The authors highlight that the understated yet dynamic color and classical shapes of teadust-glazed porcelains were particularly favored by Qing emperors and became emblematic of archaistic porcelains.
Surviving examples of teadust-glazed vases of this form and size are very rare. A notable example from the E.T. Chow Collection was illustrated in One Man's Taste: Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat no. C17. Another example was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 306. Additionally, a vase formerly in the collection of Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer was sold at Christie’s New York, 13 September 2019, lot 1103. It is also noteworthy that a large Qianlong mark-and-period guan-type vase, which shares the same form and a similar large size, is in the Brooklyn Museum in New York (accession no. 32.1244, Gift of the Executors of the Estate of Colonel Michael Friedsam). This example provides further evidence of the emperor's continued interest in archaistic forms and innovative glaze techniques (https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/34748).
The Qianlong Emperor also had a particular appreciation for the teadust glaze. According to Qing Imperial archives, on the 25th day of the 6th month of the third year of his reign (1761), the emperor was presented with a variety of teadust-glazed vases in different shapes, underscoring his fondness for this specific glaze. The origins of glaze resembling teadust color can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, but its production flourished during the Yongzheng period under the supervision of Tang Ying, the legendary director of the Qing dynasty’s imperial kiln. For an in-depth discussion of the technical development of teadust glaze, see Chen Runmin and Yang Jingrong’s article, “Discussion on Teadust Glaze,” published in the Palace Museum Journal, Beijing, 2004, vol. 1, pp. 112-7. The authors highlight that the understated yet dynamic color and classical shapes of teadust-glazed porcelains were particularly favored by Qing emperors and became emblematic of archaistic porcelains.
Surviving examples of teadust-glazed vases of this form and size are very rare. A notable example from the E.T. Chow Collection was illustrated in One Man's Taste: Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat no. C17. Another example was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 23 October 2005, lot 306. Additionally, a vase formerly in the collection of Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer was sold at Christie’s New York, 13 September 2019, lot 1103. It is also noteworthy that a large Qianlong mark-and-period guan-type vase, which shares the same form and a similar large size, is in the Brooklyn Museum in New York (accession no. 32.1244, Gift of the Executors of the Estate of Colonel Michael Friedsam). This example provides further evidence of the emperor's continued interest in archaistic forms and innovative glaze techniques (https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/34748).