Appraisily Check my item

Auction sale reference

An Important Blue and White ‘Lychee’ Moonflask with Ruyi Handles, Yongzheng Period, 1723-1735

Sold for HK$8,800,000 at Poly Auction Hong Kong on Apr 21, 2021.

An Important Blue and White ‘Lychee’ Moonflask with Ruyi Handles, Yongzheng Period, 1723-1735 auction lot image

Lot description

清雍正 青花荔枝紋如意耳抱月瓶 PROVENANCE 1. Collection of the Empress Eugenie of France (1826-1920), by repute 2. Collection of Joseph Henry Barbet de Jouy (1812-1896) and thence by descent 3. Christie's Hong Kong, 3 December 2008, lot 2563 4. Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3569 This flask is elegantly potted with a characteristic flattened body in globular form, finely painted in a soft blue hue with a branch of five lychee fruits on both sides, all between cresting waves encircling the foot and shoulder. The shoulders are decorated with a pair of lingzhi-shaped handles attached to the neck with a band of overlapping plantain leaves below row of dots with line borders on the mouth rim. All beneath a slightly blue-tinted transparent glaze, the base left unglazed. The present piece is remarkable for its particularly history: it has been probably owned by the Empress Eugenie of France, later gifted to the archeologist Joseph Henry Barbet de Jouy (1812-1896) and inheritance in his family until it has been sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3569. There are many examples of Yongzheng flasks voluntarily inspired by early Ming patterns, some revised as to adapt to the Qing Dynasty tastes, while some adhered closely to the original like the present flask. See an example in the British Museum, illustrated in Ming Ceramics, J. Harrison Hall, p. 109, no. 3:"20." The design of the vase closely adhered to the original work when compared into the details, the profile of the waves, the design of the lychee branch, the decoration at the base of the neck and the placement of the branches on the two sides. It is also a typical way for Yongzheng prototype to intentionally left without reign mark at the base to make it difficult to distinguish from the masterpieces of the previous dynasty. Compare with a closely related example from the North American Ten-views Lingbi Rock Retreat Collection, sold in our room, 2 October 2018, lot 3418, which comes formerly from the Jacobs Demarest Homestead in the United States, passed during the years to the Marlene Casey collection and the famous hands of Robert Chang. For other related flasks with different motifs, one with flowers and fruits is illustrated in Gugong bowuyuan cang. Qingdai yuyao ciqi [Qing porcelains from the imperial kilns preserved in the Palace Museum], p. 396-397; another one with flowers and birds, is illustrated in p. 106-107. 來源 1. 法國拿破侖三世皇后、楓丹白露宮的主人歐珍妮.德.蒙提荷(1826-1920年)收藏 2. 法國考古學家Joseph Henry Barbet de Jouy(1812-1896年),此後家族傳承 3. 香港佳士得,2008年12月3日,編號2563 4. 香港佳士得,2011年6月1日,編號3569 雍正青花選料精細,工藝嚴格,「參古今之式,匯以新意,備儲巧妙」,成就非凡,有「明看成化,清看雍正」之說。永宣青花的「蒼妍雄渾」之品格最得雍正青睞,此器著意不落款,令人極難分辨,是媲美前代之佳作。 此器來源有序,尤為難得。早年傳為法國皇后歐珍妮.德.蒙提荷 (Eugénie de Montijo)寶蓄,此後入藏於法國考古學家Joseph Henry Barbet de Jouy (1812-1896) 收藏,期後由家族傳承。直至2011年於拍賣場上釋出,佳士得香港,2011年6月1日,編號3569。本瓶器型端莊雋秀,壺細口,直頸,扁圓形腹,橢圓形圈足,平砂底無釉,釉汁勻淨淡雅,細膩瑩潤。肩部飾對稱的如意形雙耳,許之衡稱為「口際飄雙帶」。口沿青花花紋裝飾,頸飾蕉葉紋,肩與底部皆繪海水紋,主題紋飾的折枝荔枝亦是以永窯為範,諧音「利吉」。 本品為雍正御窯摹古永樂青花之卓越代表,其所摹之祖本可參見大英博物館典藏永樂青花荔枝圖扁壺,著錄於《Ming Ceramics》,J. Harrison Hall,頁109,編號3:20。比較二者,本品仿永樂蘇麻離青料所繪青花點染;近底處海水波浪紋飾畫法;荔枝枝幹勾勒,無一不忠於原型,本器施釉肥厚,白中泛青,為典型雍正官窯仿永樂青花之佳作。 翻檢各方典藏資料,見一例售於香港蘇富比,1982年5月18日,編號144。北美十面靈璧山居亦有一件同類收藏,曾入藏於美國Jacobs Demarest 舊居、Marlene Casey 收藏及香港重要藏家張宗憲之雲海閣,多次見於拍賣場,最後一次售於我司2018年10月2日,編號3418。 其他類似參考,見北京故宮博物院所藏的清雍正青花折枝花果紋雙耳扁背壺,錄於《清代御窯瓷器.卷一下》,紫禁城出版社,2005年,頁396-397;清雍正青花花鳥紋雙耳扁壺,同前書出處,頁106-107。 此瓶來源有序,傳原為法國皇帝拿破崙三世的妻子、法國楓丹白露宮的主人歐仁妮皇后(Empress Eugenie)所藏,後贈與Henry Barbet de Jouy,一直藏於Henry Barbet de Jouy 家族中至今。 Henry Barbet de Jouy(1812-1896),早年已沉醉於收藏瓷器和藝術品,1850年出任羅浮宮博物館埃及及古藝術館館長,1852年出任帝王博物館(Musee des Souverains)館長,1855年出任de la Sculpture Moderne古董館館長。在1860-1870年間,他在拍賣行買進了不少珍品,包括了在拿破崙三世的同母異父兄弟莫尼公爵(Duc de Morny)藏品和蒙特貝羅公爵(Duc de Montebello)藏品專拍中。1861-1863年間他在巴黎舉行的一系列拍賣中四了至少兩件源自圓明園的珍寶。他大部分的藏品在1879年3月24-25日於巴黎德勞特酒店(Hotel Drouot)舉行的拍賣中拍出,但此器從未在他的專拍中出現過。 隨著拿破崙三世的滅亡,他的愛國情節並沒有改變,1871年5月23日,當時巴黎公社政權下令縱火燒毀巴黎,當天他看著位於羅浮宮西面的杜伊勒宮建築被燒毀,他勇敢地保護羅浮宮裡的國家珍寶。因此,他獲頒法國榮譽團勳章並被委任為國家博物館管理工作。在任期間,參與了拿破崙三世和歐仁妮皇后藏品的裁決。1881年Barbet de Jouy 離開了這擁有相當權力的工仍極有可能他被當時執政黨懷疑他對歐仁妮皇后偏袒和保護。 雖然沒有文件可以證明此器為歐仁妮皇后所贈之禮物,但此器一直都為Barbet de Jouy家族所藏至今,因為它從未出現在十九世紀家族藏品的專拍中。 「硕果累累,大吉大利」

Related sale references

Do not price your object from one auction record.

A signed appraisal checks whether this sale is truly comparable to your item before you sell, insure, donate, or divide an estate.

Get an expert appraisal