Tian-character mark, Kangxi Sturdily potted in a baluster form with a short neck, decorated around the central body with two dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls in underglaze copper red, between two bands of lappets enclosing stylised lotus blossoms in pale cobalt blue, the base inscribed with a tian character mark in underglaze blue. 15cm (5 7/8in) high.
清康熙 青花釉裡紅雙龍趕珠紋罐 青花「天」字款
Provenance: Brenda Zara Seligman (1882-1965), London Sotheby's London, 11 May 1954, lot 46 J.M Graham
來源： Brenda Zara Seligman (1882-1965)，倫敦 倫敦蘇富比，1954年5月11日，拍品編號46 J.M Graham
Brenda Zara Seligman (1882-1965) was a distinguished collector and photographer who played an active role in the Anthropological Institute. In 1905, she married Professor Charles Gabriel Seligman (q.v.) and accompanied him on his expeditions to the Sudan, while also establishing herself as an authority on the linguistics of the Nuba Hills. In the 1920s, she and her husband expanded their interests into Chinese, Korean, and Indo-Chinese art, building a remarkable collection that she continued to develop after his passing. This collection was later bequeathed in both their names to the Arts Council for a ten-year period, during which the Seligman Collection of Oriental Art was exhibited in London in 1966. As per the agreement, the collection was subsequently divided between the British Museum, which received the majority of pieces, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Seligmans also contributed numerous works to the Royal Academy's 1935–1936 exhibition. See R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers and Scholars: Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Oxford, 2011, pp. 395-396.
The present lot is distinguished for the tian mark inscribed on the base in cobalt blue. The tian-character jars were first produced during the Chenghua period of the Ming dynasty. There are different interpretations regarding the meaning and origin of the 'tian' mark. One explanation is that it originates from the first character of the Thousand Character Classic (千字文): 'Heaven and Earth, dark and yellow; the universe, vast and boundless' (天地玄黃， 宇宙洪荒). Another theory suggests that since the emperor was revered as the 'Son of Heaven' (tianzi 天子), objects bearing this mark were intended for the emperor's use and appreciation. Although interpretations vary, it is widely accepted that these jars were products of the Imperial kilns in the Ming dynasty. The present lot finds its prototype in the doucai 'dragon and waves' jar of the Chenghua period, which similarly features a pair of dragons between two bands of lappets and bears a tian character inscription on the base. Additionally, two other doucai 'mythical beast' jars are of comparable form, also inscribed with the tian mark, Chenghua period. All three examples are in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelain in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Shanghai, 2007, pp.177–181.
Due to the renowned reputation of the tian-character jars from the Chenghua period, they were frequently imitated in later times, especially the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns of the Qing dynasty. According to Geng Baochang's research, the Kangxi-period imitations typically have a thick and heavy body, as seen in the present lot, whereas those from the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods are characterized by a thinner and more refined body. When held against the light, the porcelain and glaze of the latter exhibit a slight bluish translucency. See Geng Baochang, Ming Qing ciqi jianding (明清瓷器鑒定), Hong Kong, 1993, pp.89-90.
See a related doucai 'mythical beast' jar inscribed with a tian character mark on the base, Yongzheng period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 26 September 2024, lot 11.
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