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A RARE BLUE AND WHITE PEONY JAR, 'Guan' mid 14th century, the squat baluster shaped body painted in a strong tone of underglaze blue with a broad band of six alternating lotus and peony blooms,...
A RARE BLUE AND WHITE PEONY JAR, 'Guan' mid 14th century, the squat baluster shaped body painted in a strong tone of underglaze blue with a broad band of six alternating lotus and peony blooms, linked by vines and scrolling foliage, contained within a lappet border to the foot and a classical scroll border to the shoulder, the short neck decorated with a narrow band of blackberry lily, the base applied with trade label of 'L, Michiels, Antiquitiés, 12 - 12A Ave. Adolphe, Buyl, Bruxelles', 27cm high, approx. 35cm diameter
The Age of Blue and White
In the West, the phrase blue and white has become synonymous with Chinese porcelain. During the eighteenth century, by which time all things Chinese enjoyed an irresistible vogue in Europe, and when aristocrats vied with each other at auctions of Chinese porcelain, sometimes even bankrupting themselves in their quest to acquire it, blue and white arguably represented the pinnacle of porcelain taste, porcelain in its most coveted form. European display cabinets crowded with it displayed proudly in domestic interiors; occasionally, it was even set ostentatiously into the walls of rooms to provide a sort of porcelain wallpaper.
It was not always so. In China, the land of its origin, blue and white seems to have had tentative beginnings during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), but then it vanished from sight until its resurgence during the period represented in the current lot, the Yuan (1279-1368). This peony jar is a statement piece. It is a classic Yuan vessel type, and like its fourteenth-century comparators, it shares certain characteristics of design and production. The energy of its vigorous painting style, its bright colour, imposing size, and general flamboyance, were all aspects that the Mongols favoured in their porcelain.
The jars principal decorative pattern comprises peony and lotus scroll bands, while around its neck, where more usually a wave band might be expected, instead there twines a thin floral scroll. This particular decorative combination, though not unique, is nevertheless less commonly found; compare Sothebys London, 11 May 2011, lot 51, and Christies Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1985.
Prof. Alan. J Fletcher, MRIA
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