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Expert’s note: The present lot belongs to the small and highly refined group of Yongzheng-period Ru-type wares, which are characterized by a soft glaze of a specific sky-blue tone and with a smooth unctuous surface, as well as a brown-washed foot and a meticulously inscribed underglaze-blue reign mark in seal form, either with four characters like the present lot or more commonly six. While the form of the present dishes is ubiquitous, found also with other Yongzheng marks in similar glazes like celadon and clair-de-lune, no other dish with this particular glaze and reign mark is known, making the present lot a particularly important and exceptionally rare example.
China, 1723-1735. Delicately potted, each with shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a gently everted rim, covered overall with an even glaze of sky-blue color with a glaze of bluish-green tone save for the unglazed foot dressed with a brown wash. The recessed bases each with an underglaze-blue four-character seal mark Yongzheng nianzhi and of period. (2)
Provenance: From an important Dutch private collector and connoisseur of Chinese art, acquired before 1955 and thence by descent in the family. Each bowl with an old label inscribed with an inventory number, ’18’ and ‘97’. The collector assembled his collection during an extended period of residence in China, acquiring works with a discerning and scholarly eye before returning to the Netherlands in 1954. Preserved in its entirety within the same family thereafter, the collection was distinguished by its remarkable breadth and scholarly character, encompassing imperial porcelain, bronzes, furniture, silk robes, jade, books, and scrolls. No object from the collection, including the present lot, had appeared on the market prior to its dispersal in 2026.
Condition: Excellent condition with little wear and minimal firing irregularities, very light rubbing to brown wash on the foot.
Weight: 198 g and 232 g
Dimensions: Diameter 17.6 cm
The glaze also known as Ru ware represents one of the most refined ceramic traditions of the Northern Song dynasty. Produced in limited quantities for imperial use, Ru ware is distinguished by its subtle blue-green glaze, fine crackle patterns, and restrained aesthetic that embodies Song literati ideals of elegance and naturalness. Owing to its rarity and prestige, Ru ware attracted considerable antiquarian interest in later periods.
The Yongzheng Emperor collected Song Ru ware and held it in particular esteem, commissioning the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen to create refined Ru-type porcelains in conscious dialog with the Song originals. These Qing wares were not simple copies. Song Ru glazes are thick, opalescent, softly opaque, and mellow, while Yongzheng Ru-type glazes are clearer, brighter, and more vitreous, often omitting the fine crackle that is characteristic of the earlier wares, reflecting the technical precision of eighteenth-century imperial porcelain production.
This revival of ancient glazes reached its highest technical level under Tang Ying, the greatest supervisor of the Qing imperial kilns, who arrived at Jingdezhen as resident assistant in 1728. Tang Ying became renowned for his mastery of historical ceramic styles, transforming antiquarian admiration into exacting kiln practice. The Jingdezhen taolu praised his copies of famous earlier wares as ‘worthy partners’ of the originals and his imitations of celebrated glazes as ‘cleverly matched’, a judgment that perfectly captures the ambition of Yongzheng Ru-type porcelain: not merely to imitate the past, but to equal it through imperial refinement and technical command.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 March 2015, lot 3124
Price: USD 93,750 or approx. EUR 117,000 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare small Ru-type shallow dish, Yongzheng four-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze, the underglaze-blue four-character reign mark in seal form, and the similarly brown-washed foot. Note the different form.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2021, lot 715
Price: USD 200,000 or approx. EUR 182,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A very rare Ru-type vase, Yongzheng six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze, the underglaze-blue reign mark in seal form, albeit with six characters, and the similarly brown-washed foot. Note the different form and the size (17.8 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3204
Price: HKD 2,080,000 or approx. EUR 310,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare large Ru-type glazed jar, Yongzheng six-character seal mark and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related glaze, the underglaze-blue reign mark in seal form, albeit with six characters, and the similarly brown-washed foot. Note the different form and the size (33 cm).
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