Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period Elegantly potted with curved shallow sides rising from a short inward-tapering foot, the exterior finely incised with a band of leafy sprays of lingzhi fungus and covered with a pale blue glaze, the interior and base glazed white, the base with underglaze blue mark within a double circle, box. 11.7cm (4 5/8in) diam. (2).
清雍正 粉青釉暗刻靈芝紋小盤 青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款
Provenance: Professor E.T. Hall C.B.E. (1924-2001) collection, no.45 (label) Christie's London, 7 June 2004, lot 163 The Li Fan Thompson collection, London
Professor Edward Thomas 'Teddy' Hall (1924–2001) was a scientist and inventor educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, with private means. A pioneer in archaeometry, he played a key role in exposing the Piltdown Man hoax and dating the Turin Shroud to the medieval period. He founded the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and Art History and the Littlemore Scientific Engineering Company. A passionate collector, he amassed significant holdings of Chinese monochromes, fifteenth-century blue and white porcelain, clocks (including the highly accurate 'Littlemore Clock'), and scientific instruments. He was a Trustee of the National Gallery and the British Museum, served on the Science Museum's Advisory Council, and was Prime Warden of Goldsmiths College. An avid hot-air balloonist, he designed his own balloon, 'Flaming Pearl.' A regular client of Bluett's and Marchant, he collected Qing Imperial monochromes.
During the Yongzheng reign, qingbai-type glazes were refined in homage to Song dynasty ceramics. Originally developed in the Song and Yuan periods, qingbai ware featured a translucent blue-green glaze over fine porcelain. Under the Yongzheng Emperor, the Jingdezhen kilns produced delicate vessels with thin, even glazes, closely echoing Southern Song examples. This revival reflected the Yongzheng Emperor's antiquarian taste, favouring restrained elegance over the vibrant polychrome enamels of later Qing dynasty reigns. A similar dish, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period is illustrated by P.Y.K.Lam, Shimmering Colours: Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods: The Zhuyuetang Collection, Hong Kong, 2005, p.157, no.86; and another is illustrated by L.C.S.Tam, Monochrome Ceramics of Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Hong Kong, 1977, p.70, no.74.
The lingzhi fungus, a popular motif in Chinese art, symbolises longevity and is linked to the ruyi sceptre as a wish-granting emblem. Often paired with bamboo (a pun for 'congratulations'), it conveys birthday blessings. The lingzhi was especially revered by the Yongzheng Emperor. According to the Veritable Records, in the sixth year of his reign, five luminous lingzhi sprouted in the Kangxi Emperor's mausoleum. Delighted, the Yongzheng Emperor saw this as a divine omen from his ancestor, deepening the motif's significance in Yongzheng-period porcelain as a symbol of prosperity and celestial favour.
A very similar celadon-glazed 'lingzhi' saucer dish, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, was sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2018, lot 782.
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