A SOFT-PASTE WHITE-GLAZED BEEHIVE-SHAPED WATERPOT, TAIBO ZUN
Kangxi The domed vessel with orange-peel skin surmounted by a small waisted neck with flaring mouth rim, the sides incised with three roundels containing archaistic chilong, covered in a creamy ivory-white glaze. 12cm (4 3/4 in) diam.
清康熙 白釉暗刻團螭紋太白尊
Provenance: Professor E.T. Hall C.B.E (1924-2001) Christie's London, 7 June 2004, lot 70
Professor Edward Thomas Hall C.B.E (1924-2001) was a scientist and inventor. Educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, he became a leading expert in the development of archaeometry, radio-carbon dating and research in thermoluminescence techniques. A trustee of the National Gallery and the British Museum, he sat on the Advisory Council of the Science Museum. He was also a hot-air balloon pilot and created his own balloon. He was a regular client at Bluett's and purchased Qing Imperial monochromes. See R.Davids and D.Jellinek, Provenance, Oxford, 2011, pp.211-212.
The Taibo zun vessel such as the present lot is typical of the Kangxi reign. Its name derives from the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762), also known as Li Taibo who was notorious for his drinking, and is often depicted leaning against a wine jar of this form. This shape is also referred to as a jizhao zun, as it resembles a chicken coop. Waterpots of this beehive shape are more commonly found with peachbloom glazes. See for example, one peachbloom-glazed waterpot, Kangxi mark and period, in the Sir Percival David collection, the British Museum, illustrated by R.Scott, Qing Porcelain for the Imperial Court from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, Singapore and London, 1997, no.60.
See a similar soft-paste beehive-shaped waterpot, Kangxi, in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney (acc.no.348.1994). A related white-glazed waterpot, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, is illustrated by J.Ayers, Chinese Ceramics: The Koger Collection, p.167, pl.139, where the glaze is described as 'moon-white' and the medallions are of 'a dragon biting another creature, and a bat'. Another white-glazed beehive waterpot, Kangxi, is illustrated in The Wonders of the Potter's Palette: Qing Ceramics from the Collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1984, pp.64-65, no.28.
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