September 13, 2014 10:00 EST
Asian Arts
157
Large and very rare Imperial Ge-type moon flask
Yongzheng mark in underglaze blue and of the period
The stoutly potted flask-form body molded with raised bagua diagram on each side and to sides with rounded bosses; with splayed foot and straight neck terminating in everted rim flanked by molded leaf-form S handles; covered in a grey-green glaze suffused with dark grey and gold-toned craquelure.
H: 19 1/2 in. D of body: 15 in.
Provenance: Notes:
This monumental flask embodies the refinement in ceramic craftsmanship of Qing imperial potters under the supervision of Tang Ying at Jingdezhen kiln during Emperor Yongzheng's reign. Its smooth greenish-gray glaze and jinsi tiexian (gold thread and iron wire) craquelure highlights the finest imitation of the definitive Song dynasty Ge wares. The moon flask form, assimilated from "pilgrim bottles", originates from ancient Near East during the Iron Age, and ceramic replicas can be found in China dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties. The molded design of the Eight Trigrams testifies Emperor Yongzheng's personal fondness of the Taoist traditions. Flasks of this shape and size are extremely rare to find, and few examples with this glaze have appeared at auction. A Yongzheng marked flask of similar design with greyish-white glaze was sold at Sotheby's London, 8th November 2006, lot 173; and another with comparable glaze but different form was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2011, Lot 3017.
Sold for $903,750
Estimated at $200,000 - $400,000
The stoutly potted flask-form body molded with raised bagua diagram on each side and to sides with rounded bosses; with splayed foot and straight neck terminating in everted rim flanked by molded leaf-form S handles; covered in a grey-green glaze suffused with dark grey and gold-toned craquelure.
Provenance: Notes:
This monumental flask embodies the refinement in ceramic craftsmanship of Qing imperial potters under the supervision of Tang Ying at Jingdezhen kiln during Emperor Yongzheng's reign. Its smooth greenish-gray glaze and jinsi tiexian (gold thread and iron wire) craquelure highlights the finest imitation of the definitive Song dynasty Ge wares. The moon flask form, assimilated from "pilgrim bottles", originates from ancient Near East during the Iron Age, and ceramic replicas can be found in China dating back to the Han and Tang dynasties. The molded design of the Eight Trigrams testifies Emperor Yongzheng's personal fondness of the Taoist traditions. Flasks of this shape and size are extremely rare to find, and few examples with this glaze have appeared at auction. A Yongzheng marked flask of similar design with greyish-white glaze was sold at Sotheby's London, 8th November 2006, lot 173; and another with comparable glaze but different form was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2011, Lot 3017.
