Étiquettes
‘The Hermit Hui Jiang’, Blanc de Chine, circa 1620, circa 1630, circa 1640, four-character sealmark, Guanyin, He Chaozong yin, impressed circular seal with the potter’s name Chun Yu, late Ming dynasty, Lü Dongbin, Marchant, square four-character sealmark of Sun Chengxian yin, square seal Hui Jiangshan ren, standing scholar, three-character sealmark of He Chaozong, Wenchang
Guanyin seated with her hands covered by long flowing robes. The back impressed with a three-character sealmark of He Chaozong within a double gourd. 9 1/4 inches, 23.8 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1630. Carved openwork wood stand. From the collection of Captain J. Meuldijk, The Netherlands. Photo courtesy Marchant
LONDON – Coinciding with Asian Art in London, 30th October – 8th November 2014, Marchant are delighted to announce the exhibtion and sale of ‘Blanc de Chine’. This is Marchant’s fourth exhibition of the same name, previous exhibitions having been held in 1985, 1994 and 2006.
Almost ten years in the planning, visiting collectors and travelling the world, the extensive exhibition contains 132 pieces of Ming and Qing blanc de chine figures and vessels, mainly from private European collections. Twenty-eight of these pieces come from the collection of Captain J. Meuldijk, The Netherlands, including the remarkable He Chaozong Guanyin, no. 1 in the catalgoue, illustrated on the back cover. We are fortunate to have three other examples by the famous potter, who is hightly regarded in China. The superb Damo, no. 11, also from the Meuldijk Collection, is on the front cover.
Museums, collectors and dealers have been fascinated and intrigued by the wonderful porcelain produced at Dehua in the Fujian Province, China. From the late Ming Dynasty, the rich thick cream glaze and sculpted figures and vessels have been eagerly sought. Precise dating is difficult, as in most cases reign marks are absent. Dating pieces from unearthed tombs has been a great help, as has the identification of seal marks impressed in the back of figures or the base of vessels.
Provenance is always a key factor in Marchant’s publications. Marchant believe knowing the names of previous owners, be they dealers or collectors, is an essential part of their history, and a guide to authenticity.
The exhibition will take place at 120 Kensington Church Street from Monday 3rd November until Friday 28th November.
A hardback fully illustrated book of the collection is now available, priced at £80 GBP/ $130 USD (inc. p&p) and will be able to view on their website from tomrorow. Friday 24th October. http://www.marchantasianart.com .
Guanyin seated with her hands covered by long flowing robes. The back impressed with a three-character sealmark of He Chaozong within a double gourd. 9 1/4 inches, 23.8 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1630. Carved openwork wood stand. Photo courtesy Marchant
From the collection of Captain J. Meuldijk, The Netherlands.
A Guanyin in a similar pose with He Chaozong mark, from the collection of Mr C. A. Wiessing, was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 2006, no. 3, p. 12 and front cover; another, from The Grandidier Collection in T_e Musée Guimet, Paris is illustrated by Albert Le Bonheur in T_e World’s Great Collections, Oriental Ceramics, vol. 7, colour plate 31; another Guanyin with a He Chaozong mark, from The J. M. Hu Collection, was sold by Christie’s New York in their auction of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 14th/ 15th September 2009, no. 408.
Guanyin, the goddess of Mercy, is usually depicted as a woman deity in white robes, shoeless, slightly looking down with an expression of purity and wisdom. Guan means to see; yin means sound, the two words together mean ‘she who sees and hears’.
Guanyin standing on an overturned vase with lotus flowerhead, leaves and swirling waves, wearing long robes extending to a cowl covering her hands and exposing one foot and revealing a lotus diadem, wearing a ruyi-head bead necklace, covered in an even cream glaze. The back impressed with a three-character sealmark of He Chaozong within a double gourd. 14 7/8 inches, 37.8 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1620. Photo courtesy Marchant
From the collection of Captain J. Meuldijk, The Netherlands.
A similar Guanyin, formerly in the collection of Elizabeth Gibson Holahan, Rochester, New York, was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 2006, no. 1, pp. 8/9; another larger example with a square seal of He Chaozong was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 1985, no. 1, p. 5 and is now in The Koger Collection, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The State Art Museum of Florida, and is published by John Ayers in the exhibition of Blanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2002, no. 26, p. 75; another, with a small standing boy at her side, is illustrated by P. J. Donnelly in Blanc de Chine, pl. 145C.
Guanyin seated in contemplation on a double lotus base, her legs folded and her hands resting on her lap, wearing voluminous robes extending to a cowl exposing a diadem containing the image of Buddha and a jewelled necklace, covered in a rich cream glaze. The back with an impressed circular seal with the potter’s name Chun Yu and a square seal Hui Jiangshan ren, ‘The Hermit Hui Jiang’. 16 1/8 inches, 41 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1620. Photo courtesy Marchant
From a French private collection, removed from a manor in the Loire Valley.
A similar figure, bearing a He Chaozong mark, from The Gruber Collection is illustrated by John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics, The Koger Collection, 1985, no. 147, pp. 174/5 and was previously illustrated by P. J. Donnelly in Blanc de Chine, 1969, pl.150D; another, with He Chaozong yin mark and inscribedjiwei nian corresponding to 1619, in a private collection, New York, is illustrated by John Ayers inBlanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, China Institute Gallery, New York, 2002, no. 25, p. 74; another is published by Robert H. Blumenfield on the front cover of Blanc de Chine, the Great Porcelain of Dehua, 2002, p. 130; a further example is illustrated by Liu Youzheng in Blanc de Chine, 2007, colour plate 3; yet another, purchased from Marchant, London, 2nd July 1999, was sold by Bonhams, London in their auction of Fine Chinese Art, 17th May 2012, no. 297, pp. 302/3.
A standing Buddha with the square seal Hui Jiang shan ren was included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 2006, no. 4, pp. 14/5 where it is noted that a Guanyin with the same mark is illustrated by P. J. Donnelly. This piece was made by the potter Sun Chun Yu of the Sun family of potters, see no. 5.
Large figure of a standing scholar wearing long flowing robes tied above the waist and with hands and feet exposed on a rockwork base, wearing a folded cap with long plaits extending to his shoulders, the face with piercing on his upper lip and chin for the insertion of real hair, covered in a rich thick cream glaze. The back impressed with a four-character sealmark, He Chaozong yin. 20 ½ inches, 52 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1620. Photo courtesy Marchant
From an English private collection.
A similar figure, described as Lü Dongbin, is illustrated by Liu Youzheng in Blanc de Chine, 2007, colour plate 31. No other figures of this size bearing a He Chaozong mark are recorded. See no. 18.
Wenchang seated on a pierced rockwork throne, holding a ruyi-sceptre in his left hand which rests on a outcrop, the long flowing robes covering his other arm and exposing a foot, wearing two large belts, one inset with stylised jade plaques, an official hat and long plaits extending to his shoulders, the upper lip and chin with piercing for the insertion of real hair, all covered in a rich cream glaze. The back impressed with a square four-character sealmark of Sun Chengxian yin. 17 inches, 43.2 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, circa 1620. Photo courtesy Marchant
From an important French collection of a lady in Saint Cloud, France.
Purchased from Roger Duchange, 12 Rue des Saint-Pères, Paris, 30th March 1992.
An identical model, bearing a He Chaozong yin mark is included by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 1985, no. 3, p. 7, now in The Koger Collection, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The State Art Museum of Florida (19.97), also illustrated by John Ayers in the exhibition of Blanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, no. 40, p. 89, and included by John Ayers in his paper Blanc-de-Chine: Some Reflections, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1986-1987, Vol. 51, 24th February 1987, no. 21 p. 33; a further example is illustrated by Regina Krahl in Chinese Ceramics from The Meiyintang Collection, Volume Two, 1994, no. 1004, pp. 302/3; yet another, without the rocky outcrop, is illustrated by P. J. Donnelly in Blanc de Chine, pl. 145D.
Another example on rockwork with the sceptre in the right hand from The Hickley Collection, Singapore, is illustrated by Rose Kerr & John Ayers in Blanc de Chine, Porcelain from Dehua, no. 27; a further example without rockwork, in the Fujian Provincial Museum, is illustrated by Chen Cunxi and C. T. Yeung in Dehua Wares, Jointly Presented by the Fujian Provincial Museum and the Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, 1990, no. 103, p. 115; another was included by Sotheby’s London in their auction of Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 4th November 2009, no. 243, p. 244. Although Sun Chengxian does not appear to be recorded, no. 3 is by the potter Sun Chun Yu and was probably from the same family.
Wenchang is the god of literature and the patron of literati, widely revered in China.
Guanyin seated on a mat with one knee raised, covered by her long flowing robes, draped over the edge and extending to a cowl above a tied bun, wearing a flowerhead necklace and ruyi-head tiara, the hands exposed, one holding a scroll, the serene features of her face with eyes lowered in a state of contemplation beneath an urna mark on her forehead, with small chin and typical elongated ear lobes, covered in a cream glaze. The back impressed with a three-character sealmark of He Chaozong within a double gourd. 7 ¼ inches, 18.4 cm high. Late Ming dynasty, Circa 1640. Photo courtesy Marchant
From the collection of Captain J. Meuldijk, The Netherlands.
Three related models holding a scroll with the identical mark of He Chaozong, although with the hands crossed over the raised knee are illustrated by Marchant in their exhibition of Blanc de Chine, 1985, no. 2, p. 6, by John Ayers in Blanc de Chine, Divine Images in Porcelain, no. 34, p. 83 and inside cover, and by Michel Beurdeley and Guy Raindre in Qing Porcelain, Famille Verte, Famille Rose, plate 335, p. 243, respectively.