Ceramic with celadon-colored glaze
China, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Sprawling bowl-shaped body with a everted, prong-shaped mouth on a slightly increased foot ring
Anhua décor on center and wall, with central chrysanthemum motif and a revolving tendril border
The accompanying thermoluminescence certificate of the QED Laboratoire Aix-en-Provence is consistent with the dating of this lot (test no. QED1206/FC-0111)
Diameter: 55.5 cm
Provenance: From a South-German private collection
Very good condition, consistent with age
Estimate by Auctionata Expert: 30,000 Euro

The celadon barbed-rim charger is outstanding not only for its large shape – the diameter is nearly 60 cm – but also for its delicately carved decoration under the subtle celadon glaze. Barbed-rim chargers became popular during the Yuan dynasty and remained in fashion throughout the early Ming dynasty. The floral design of the present lot is closely related to blue-and-white and copper-red examples from the Hongwu period in the 14th century. Cf. Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1626. See also very closely related examples regarding the design in the Imperial Collection of the Palace Museum, illustrated in:The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red,Shanghai 2000, vol. 1, pls. 21, 212 & 216-9.



Condition:

The plate is in very good condition, according to the age. The diameter of 55.5 cm.



Anhua décor

Anhua, termed a ‘hidden’ décor-technique, where uncolored motifs are perceptible as impressions under the glaze. The décor is applied on the body by carving, incising or impressing before glazing and firing. As a dominant décor it can be found on Song dynasty Ding, Xing and Qingbai wears. During the early Ming period the décor were extraordinary popularity, arguably because Yongle, the most important emperor of the Ming dynasty, appreciate very much this form of decoration. Filigree lines and patterns were a characteristic of ceramics around the 1640s. The an-hua technique was revived in the first half of the 18th century, in cut and pressed rims.



Celadon

Celadon is a term for a greenish glaze of Chinese stoneware. The color reaches from a bright grass green tone to a deep dark olive green or bluish color. Celadon pieces are extremely popular in Asia, because the color is reminiscent of jade. The typical color is created by the reduction of ferrous oxide in the feldspar glaze during firing. The name ‘celadon’ was derived from the hero of the novel L’Astrée by Honoré d’Urfé from 1610. The shepherd was named Celadon and was wearing a matt green robe, which coined the term.

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