Lot Essay
Spring Beneficence – A Magnificent Yongzheng Dragon Meiping
Rosemary Scott, Independent Scholar
The decoration on this magnificent vase reflects and celebrates a traditional Chinese belief that, at the Spring Equinox, the dragon would rise from winter hibernation amongst the waves in order to bring rain to water the crops. This rain was essential for a good harvest and the wellbeing of the population as a whole. There is even a 14th century copper-red decorated porcelain jar, preserved in Yangzhou, which illustrates the importance of the dragon bringing rain in four cartouches painted around its sides. The story told in the cartouches is of a land where there was a drought and the land was parched. No crops would grow and the people were starving. They prayed to the dragon and he came. The final image on the jar shows the dragon sending down water to the earth as the people give thanks (fig. 1).
The depiction of white dragons amongst underglaze turbulent waves can be found as early as the Yuan dynasty - for example on the octagonal meiping decorated in underglaze blue, which was excavated from the Baoding hoard in Hebei province in 1964 (illustrated Splendors in Smalt – Art of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain, Shanghai, 2012, pp. 176-7, no. 57) (fig. 2). An early Ming dynasty Yongle meiping, decorated with a white dragon reserved against a ground of cobalt blue turbulent waves, was excavated in 1994 at Zhushan, Jingdezhen (illustrated in Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi, Beijing, 1999, p. 98, no. 40) (fig. 3). Another early 15th century Yongle meiping with reserved dragon shown against underglaze copper red waves is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated by Geng Baochang in Ming Qing ciqi jjianding, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 19, fig. 26C). Both the excavated vessel and the meiping in the Palace Museum collection have a thickened mouth rim and a significantly waisted lower section, in contrast to the majority of other meiping found at the Yongle strata at Jingdezhen, which have straighter sides. The former waisted type of early 15th century meiping probably provided the inspiration for both the decoration and the shape of the current Yongzheng meiping. Several of the straighter-sided Yongle meiping vases decorated with dragons rising above the waves have been excavated. These have been found with incised decoration under an all-over copper red glaze; with a copper red dragon against a white ground; and with a copper red dragon above cobalt blue waves (illustrated in Zhongguo gu taoci yanjiu, 3, Beijing, 2004, colour plates 19, 20 and 21, respectively) (fig. 4). A waisted meiping decorated with white dragons reserved against underglaze copper red waves, bearing a Xuande mark, is in the Baur Collection. Geneva (illustrated by John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, volume 2, Geneva, 1999, p. 26, no. 150), but the mark is regarded as apocryphal and the date of manufacture is believed to be c. 1720-30.
While the straighter-sided excavated early 15th century vases of this type depict dragons perambulating around the vessels, as does the excavated waisted blue and white vessel, the underglaze red decorated Yongle meiping in the Palace Museum, Beijing (as well as the Baur Collection vase) depicts a dragon leaping and twisting, similar to the current Yongzheng meiping. Dragons are shown leaping and twisting from the waves on other excavated early 15th century vessels, such as the Xuande blue and white dish excavated at Zhushan in 1993 (illustrated in Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi, op. cit., p. 191, no. 150) (fig. 5). It is this type of lively and powerful dragon that seems to have inspired the Yongzheng decorators.
The current vase, and the small number of similar Yongzheng vases preserved in international collections, skilfully create a feeling of forceful vitality in the large dragons depicted upon them. These dragons have no painted outlines, and the details of their scales, eyes, hair, etc., are carved in low relief, and can only be fully appreciated by close examination of the vessels. It is also interesting to note that each of these Yongzheng meiping vases has the turbulent waves painted in especially fine ‘pencilled’ style. They display excellent mastery of this challenging technique of ‘pencilled’ style in underglaze copper red. For the style to be effective, the copper red has to be perfectly controlled, to produce fine, clear red lines with no ‘bleeding’ into the surrounding white areas. To do this successfully was no mean feat, and the achievement demonstrated on the current vase is a testament to the skill of the ceramic artists and kiln masters employed at the imperial kilns in the Yongzheng reign.
Rare Yongzheng vases similar to the current example are to be found in the collections of the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 36, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, no. 171) (fig. 6), the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is with its original cover, (exhibited at Harmony and Integrity- The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, Catalogue, p. 175, pl. II-8) (fig. 7), the Metropolitan Museum, New York (illustrated by Warren E. Cox, The Book of Pottery and Porcelain, New York, 1944, p. 586, pl. 164) (fig. 8, museum accession no. 29.100.312 ), and the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (illustrated by Tatiana Arapova, Chinese Porcelains in the Hermitage Collection, Leningrad, 1977, p. 129, no. 195).
The current vase was previously in a prestigious 19th century American art collection – that of Mary J. Morgan (1823-1885). Following her death, Mary Morgan’s collection was put on view at the American Art Galleries from 12th February 1886, before being sold over a period of several days. Some parts were sold at Chickering Hall on 3rd, 4th and 5th March 1886, while the remainder was sold at the American Art Galleries over several more days starting on 8th March 1886. The current vase appeared as lot 538, and sold for $225, which, would have been equivalent to a year’s wages for some American workers at the time.
Mary J. Morgan was born Mary Jane Sexton into a comfortably-off New York family in 1823, and was privately educated to a standard which allowed her to teach both French and mathematics. She married Charles Morgan (1795–1878) in 1851. According to the Frick Collection Archives Directory of the History of Collecting in America, Charles Morgan was a cousin of the famous financier and collector J. Pierpoint Morgan (1837–1913). Like Mary’s own father, Charles Morgan was involved in trade with India, but was primarily a railroad, shipping, and iron magnate. Mary inherited significant shares in her husband’s company following his death in 1878. Mary J. Morgan’s art collection was wide-ranging and included European paintings and etchings, as well as sculpture, while her East Asian art included ceramics, ivory, lacquer, and glass. Pieces from Mary J. Morgan’s collection can today be found in several major American museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.; the Metropolitan Museum, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her collection of Chinese porcelain was extensive and contained a number of important items, including the current vase.
Rosemary Scott, Independent Scholar
The decoration on this magnificent vase reflects and celebrates a traditional Chinese belief that, at the Spring Equinox, the dragon would rise from winter hibernation amongst the waves in order to bring rain to water the crops. This rain was essential for a good harvest and the wellbeing of the population as a whole. There is even a 14th century copper-red decorated porcelain jar, preserved in Yangzhou, which illustrates the importance of the dragon bringing rain in four cartouches painted around its sides. The story told in the cartouches is of a land where there was a drought and the land was parched. No crops would grow and the people were starving. They prayed to the dragon and he came. The final image on the jar shows the dragon sending down water to the earth as the people give thanks (fig. 1).
The depiction of white dragons amongst underglaze turbulent waves can be found as early as the Yuan dynasty - for example on the octagonal meiping decorated in underglaze blue, which was excavated from the Baoding hoard in Hebei province in 1964 (illustrated Splendors in Smalt – Art of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain, Shanghai, 2012, pp. 176-7, no. 57) (fig. 2). An early Ming dynasty Yongle meiping, decorated with a white dragon reserved against a ground of cobalt blue turbulent waves, was excavated in 1994 at Zhushan, Jingdezhen (illustrated in Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi, Beijing, 1999, p. 98, no. 40) (fig. 3). Another early 15th century Yongle meiping with reserved dragon shown against underglaze copper red waves is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated by Geng Baochang in Ming Qing ciqi jjianding, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 19, fig. 26C). Both the excavated vessel and the meiping in the Palace Museum collection have a thickened mouth rim and a significantly waisted lower section, in contrast to the majority of other meiping found at the Yongle strata at Jingdezhen, which have straighter sides. The former waisted type of early 15th century meiping probably provided the inspiration for both the decoration and the shape of the current Yongzheng meiping. Several of the straighter-sided Yongle meiping vases decorated with dragons rising above the waves have been excavated. These have been found with incised decoration under an all-over copper red glaze; with a copper red dragon against a white ground; and with a copper red dragon above cobalt blue waves (illustrated in Zhongguo gu taoci yanjiu, 3, Beijing, 2004, colour plates 19, 20 and 21, respectively) (fig. 4). A waisted meiping decorated with white dragons reserved against underglaze copper red waves, bearing a Xuande mark, is in the Baur Collection. Geneva (illustrated by John Ayers in Chinese Ceramics in The Baur Collection, volume 2, Geneva, 1999, p. 26, no. 150), but the mark is regarded as apocryphal and the date of manufacture is believed to be c. 1720-30.
While the straighter-sided excavated early 15th century vases of this type depict dragons perambulating around the vessels, as does the excavated waisted blue and white vessel, the underglaze red decorated Yongle meiping in the Palace Museum, Beijing (as well as the Baur Collection vase) depicts a dragon leaping and twisting, similar to the current Yongzheng meiping. Dragons are shown leaping and twisting from the waves on other excavated early 15th century vessels, such as the Xuande blue and white dish excavated at Zhushan in 1993 (illustrated in Jingdezhen chutu Yuan Ming guanyao ciqi, op. cit., p. 191, no. 150) (fig. 5). It is this type of lively and powerful dragon that seems to have inspired the Yongzheng decorators.
The current vase, and the small number of similar Yongzheng vases preserved in international collections, skilfully create a feeling of forceful vitality in the large dragons depicted upon them. These dragons have no painted outlines, and the details of their scales, eyes, hair, etc., are carved in low relief, and can only be fully appreciated by close examination of the vessels. It is also interesting to note that each of these Yongzheng meiping vases has the turbulent waves painted in especially fine ‘pencilled’ style. They display excellent mastery of this challenging technique of ‘pencilled’ style in underglaze copper red. For the style to be effective, the copper red has to be perfectly controlled, to produce fine, clear red lines with no ‘bleeding’ into the surrounding white areas. To do this successfully was no mean feat, and the achievement demonstrated on the current vase is a testament to the skill of the ceramic artists and kiln masters employed at the imperial kilns in the Yongzheng reign.
Rare Yongzheng vases similar to the current example are to be found in the collections of the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 36, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, no. 171) (fig. 6), the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is with its original cover, (exhibited at Harmony and Integrity- The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, Catalogue, p. 175, pl. II-8) (fig. 7), the Metropolitan Museum, New York (illustrated by Warren E. Cox, The Book of Pottery and Porcelain, New York, 1944, p. 586, pl. 164) (fig. 8, museum accession no. 29.100.312 ), and the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (illustrated by Tatiana Arapova, Chinese Porcelains in the Hermitage Collection, Leningrad, 1977, p. 129, no. 195).
The current vase was previously in a prestigious 19th century American art collection – that of Mary J. Morgan (1823-1885). Following her death, Mary Morgan’s collection was put on view at the American Art Galleries from 12th February 1886, before being sold over a period of several days. Some parts were sold at Chickering Hall on 3rd, 4th and 5th March 1886, while the remainder was sold at the American Art Galleries over several more days starting on 8th March 1886. The current vase appeared as lot 538, and sold for $225, which, would have been equivalent to a year’s wages for some American workers at the time.
Mary J. Morgan was born Mary Jane Sexton into a comfortably-off New York family in 1823, and was privately educated to a standard which allowed her to teach both French and mathematics. She married Charles Morgan (1795–1878) in 1851. According to the Frick Collection Archives Directory of the History of Collecting in America, Charles Morgan was a cousin of the famous financier and collector J. Pierpoint Morgan (1837–1913). Like Mary’s own father, Charles Morgan was involved in trade with India, but was primarily a railroad, shipping, and iron magnate. Mary inherited significant shares in her husband’s company following his death in 1878. Mary J. Morgan’s art collection was wide-ranging and included European paintings and etchings, as well as sculpture, while her East Asian art included ceramics, ivory, lacquer, and glass. Pieces from Mary J. Morgan’s collection can today be found in several major American museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.; the Metropolitan Museum, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her collection of Chinese porcelain was extensive and contained a number of important items, including the current vase.