A PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE ‘MAGNOLIA’ BEAKER VASES, TRANSITIONAL PERIOD
China, c. 1640. Both of slender waisted form, the exteriors finely painted in shades of cobalt blue with birds flying under the moonlight amid leafy magnolia and peonies growing near craggy rocks, above bands of rockwork and pendent leaf blades. The rims each with a neatly applied café-au-lait glaze. (2)


Provenance:
Arts d’Autrefois, Paris, France. A private collection in the United States, acquired from the above. Christie’s New York, 28 November 2006, lot 61. A private collection in New York, USA, acquired from the above and thence by descent in the family. Each vase with three old labels to the base, one from Arts d’Autrefois and two from Christie’s.

Condition:
One vase in excellent condition with only minor wear and expected firing irregularities. The other vase in good condition with minor wear, expected firing irregularities, a hairline to the body and a small glaze flake to the rim.

Weight: 2,779 g and 2,938 g
Dimensions: Height 38.3 cm and 38 cm


Expert’s note:
This simple and elegant form belongs to a group of new shapes among the Transitional Wares. Its simple concave lines, derived from the earlier Ming prototype, are noted by R. S. Kilburn to ‘serve to emphasize the solid careful potting and good proportion of the pieces’ (see Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1981, page 30).


Literature comparison:

Compare an inscribed blue and white vase dated to 1640, featuring three registers of plants and rocks similar to the present vase, included in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramics Society exhibition Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 29 January-29 March 1981, p. 89, no. 65.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 1935
Price: HKD 187,500 or approx.
EUR 27,500
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine blue and white beaker vase, gu, Transitional period, circa 1620-1645
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration with similar birds and flowers, rockwork, and leaf blades. Note the similar size (41.5 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 January 2009, lot 11
Price: USD 16,250 or approx.
EUR 21,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large blue and white beaker vase, transitional period, circa 1640
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration with similar birds and flowers, rockwork, and leaf blades. Note the slightly larger size (44.5 cm).




明清過渡時期一對青花玉蘭花紋花觚

中國，約1640年。觚敞口微撇，口沿施醬釉，筒式腹，腹訓凸起一周，近底微外撇，平底無釉。白釉泛青，青花艷麗，外壁紋飾共有三層，上層主題圖案繪花鳥圖，空中飛有兩隻翠鳥，另有洞石和蘭花紋；中層簡潔假山紋；下層繪蕉葉紋一周。 (2)


來源：
法國巴黎Arts d’Autrefois；美國私人收藏；紐約佳士得，2006年11月 28日；紐約私人收藏，購於上述拍賣，保存在同一家族。花觚底有標籤，一個來自 d’Autrefois，兩個來自佳士得。

品相：
一隻花瓶狀況良好，只有輕微磨損和燒製不規則。 另一件花瓶狀況良好，有輕微磨損，燒製不規則，瓶身有冲線，邊緣有小釉片。

重量：分別2,779克與2,938 克
尺寸：分別高 38.3 厘與38 厘米


專家注釋：
這種古樸典雅的造型屬於過渡器中的造型。其簡單的凹形線條源自明代早期，R.S. Kilburn 指出“serve to emphasize the solid careful potting and good proportion of the pieces’（有助於強調作品的堅固細緻的胎體和良好的比例”（參見《Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners》，香港藝術館，1981 年，第30 ）


文獻比較：


比較一件1640年刻有銘文的青花花瓶，其三組植物和岩石與本花瓶相似，收錄於香港東方陶瓷學會展覽《Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners》，香港藝術館，1981年1月29日 -3月29日，頁89，編號65。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2013年5月29日，lot 1935
價格：HKD 187,500（相當於今日
EUR 27,500
）
描述：明末/清初青花花鳥紋筒觚
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形，相似的花鳥紋、山岩和芭蕉葉紋。請注意相似的尺寸 (41.5 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2009年1月21日，lot 11
價格：USD 16,250（相當於今日
EUR 21,000
）
描述：約1640年過度時期青花花觚
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形，相似的花鳥紋、山岩和芭蕉葉紋。請注意尺寸較大 (44.5 釐米)。