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117 - CHINA - YUAN Dynasty (1279 - 1368), 14th CENTURY A large por…
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Estimate €80,000 - €90,000
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Description
CHINA - YUAN Dynasty (1279 - 1368), 14th CENTURY A large porcelain dish with a poly-lobed rim decorated in blue underglaze with a fish swimming in seaweed in a central medallion, the cavetto decorated with a register of scrolls of peonies moulded in reserve on a blue background, the flat side decorated with scrolls of lingzhi moulded in reserve. The reverse decorated with panels of lotus. The reverse side decorated with lotus panels (broken and restored with gold lacquer). Diam. 59.5 cm This large porcelain dish has a central underglaze blue decoration of a fish swimming in seaweed. This type of dish can be associated with a group characterised by a central decoration treated in a fairly naturalistic manner surrounded by sober ornamentation. The realistic aspect of the decoration gives us a dating key. From the point of view of ceramic decoration, the Yuan dynasty can be seen as a pivotal period between the symbolic, stylised aesthetic of the Song (960-1279) and the refined realism that emerged under the Ming (1368-1644). Fish decorations were very popular under the Yuan. The seaweed in which the fish swims is depicted with a realism that allows four species to be identified: the round leaves linked by rhizomes are probably small water lilies floating on the surface, the long undulating leaves are reminiscent of eelgrass, the long shaggy leaves are reminiscent of submerged ceratophylla, and the shaggy clusters linked by rhizomes are from the chara family. The dish's cavetto is decorated in relief with peony flowers in a technique that gives a white-on-blue effect, the opposite of the traditional blue and white. One explanation for the use of this technique may be that cobalt oxide was a rare and expensive pigment at the time, imported from Central Asia. Moreover, working with cobalt oxide was not easy, as it had to be ground to a powder and properly diluted before it could be applied with a brush. By leaving the decoration in reserve, it is easier and more economical to apply the cobalt only to small areas of the background. On some dishes, like ours, the background is simply hatched with cobalt blue in a wave pattern. With this type of decoration, the cobalt blue applied to the slightly recessed background gives the impression of being inlaid into the porcelain. Moulded decorations in white on blue are attested in Jingdezhen as early as 1320, thanks to shards found in the wreck sunk off Sinan on the Korean coast and discovered in 1976. It is interesting to note that all large dishes with white-on-blue decoration have a poly-lobed rim, as is the case on our dish. The aesthetics of blue and white, considered polychrome (as opposed to the monochrome of the Song period), did not immediately meet with unanimous approval in learned circles under the Yuan. What's more, the Jingdezhen kilns were under foreign domination at the time. Furthermore, it would appear that the Mongol rulers were not interested in porcelain, although they undoubtedly encouraged trade in it. The first blue and white porcelain was therefore produced for a middle eastern clientele. This influence can be seen in the shapes, particularly in the large-format dishes like this one. The size of our dish is particularly exceptional: it is 59.5 cm in diameter, when dishes of this type are usually between 45 and 48 cm. The collection of the Ardebil sanctuary donated by Shah Abbas and that of the Topkapi Saray in Istanbul remain the two leading collections of Yuan porcelain today. A similar dish with central phoenix decoration is kept at Ardebil. Only one other example is known, with a central decoration of fish and a cavetto moulded in reserve with peonies. It belonged to the collections of T.T Tsui and Sir Joseph Hotung and was sold by Sotheby's, Hong Kong, on 8 October 2022, lot 13. Provenance : - Former Noble Parisian Collection since the second half of the 19th century, Comte de Sapia de Lencia, remained by descent in the same family. Collection of Monsieur X. Family tradition indicates that this Chinese dish comes from an old French noble family, passed down through successive inheritances from their common ancestor, the Comte de Sapia de Lencia, a well-known collector in the first half of the 19th century. Following his death, an estate sale took place at Hôtel Drouot, room 8, on Monday 18, Tuesday 19, Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 May 1885. "This collection brought together very fine Saxony porcelain, pieces of form and choice, table services, numerous groups and figurines mounted on Louis XV gilt bronze pedestals, mounted Chinese porcelain, very fine enamelled and chased gold boxes, Martin varnish and other precious materials - Saxony enamel and porcelain: eighteenth-century miniatures, enamels - antique jewellery, beautiful Beauvais tapestry salon furniture: magnificent Gobelin tapestry, Siamese scenes after Leprince.... "According to the introduction to the catalogue devoted to this prestigious sale. This dish was not included in the sale, as it had been broken into several pieces and had remained in the family collection, like many other objects kept or dispersed by the family. More than 50 years ago, the dish was found in pieces in the family's Paris mansion, and he decided to have it restored. The original restoration can be seen in the photos below, which show a rough restoration hidden under a layer of paint that imitates the decoration and tries to hide the cracks. Recently restored by the current owner using a Japanese technique similar to kintsugi, this exceptional dish is one of the largest known examples from the period, and its decoration has reappeared in its entirety under the previous restoration. Reference: - A similar dish from the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung, Christie's Hong Kong sale, 8 October 2022, lot 13. - A similar dish with peonies in reserve and a central decoration of a banana tree in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, n°AD 7985, another in the British Museum, London, n° OA 1951.10-12.1, another with a central decoration of a phoenix in Ardebil and reproduced in T. Misugi, Chinese porcelain Collections in the Near East, volume one, p. 101. - A dish with a similar central decoration of a fish is in the British Museum, No. OA 1968.4-22.26, and another is in the Topkapi and reproduced in T. Misugi, Chinese porcelain Collections in the Near East, volume one, p.98. Please ask for the condition reports before the sale: they are not included in the sheets. Expert : Cabinet Portier Alice Jossaume [email protected] +33 (0)1 48 00 03 41
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About the sale Selected works
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Auction time 06/15/2026 at 11:00 AM
Ref. : 7190 - 47
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