A LARGE MOLDED AND CARVED CELADON-GLAZED ‘DRAGON’ FISHBOWL, QING DYNASTY
China, 18th - 19th century. Heavily potted, the deep rounded sides rising to a thick everted rim. The exterior is finely molded and carved with two sinuous four-clawed dragons in pursuit of a flaming pearl amid swirling clouds, covered in a pale sea-green glaze darkening in the recesses and thinning at the edges. The dragon design is framed by two brown-washed bands, the upper neatly carved with magpies and chrysanthemums, the lower similarly decorated with crashing waves. The base is unglazed.


Provenance:
From a private collection in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, since the 1950s, and thence by descent in the same family. By family repute, most of this collection was purchased in the Panshanger Estate Sale at the Corn Exchange, Hertford, in 1953. Panshanger was the family home of the Earls Cowper, built by the Fifth Earl in the first decade of the 19th century. The estate was home to a remarkable art collection, including rare and important Chinese works of art. Two rooms - the China Room and the Dairy - were given over to the display of porcelain, but Chinese porcelains were also kept in the Picture Gallery, Library, Drawing Room, and Small Dining Room. A pair of Imperial famille rose hu-form vases decorated with deer, with Qianlong marks and of the period, once kept at Panshanger, was sold by Christie’s London, 13 May 2008, lot 223, for GBP 804,500.

Condition:
Old wear and manufacturing flaws, such as glaze recesses, pitting, and dark spots. Some hairlines to glaze, two star cracks, one chip to foot rim, one chip to the inner base (possibly re-stuck). Overall displaying exceptionally well.

Weight: 26.9 kg
Dimensions: Diameter 51.3 cm, Height 45.5 cm


Literature comparison:

Celadon-glazed fish bowls with dragon decorations are very rare. A Yongzheng example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Monochrome Porcelain. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, vol. 37, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 149, no. 135.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 March 2016, lot 1648
Price: USD 329,000 or approx.
EUR 384,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A massive celadon-glazed ‘dragon’ fish bowl, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar form and celadon glaze, molded and carved decoration, and dragon motif. Note the lack of brown-washed bands and the larger size (62.8 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 15 May 2013, lot 256
Price: GBP 30,000 or approx.
EUR 54,000
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A celadon-glazed ‘dragon’ fishbowl, Qing dynasty, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the similar form and celadon glaze, molded and carved decoration, and dragon motif. Note the lack of brown-washed bands.




清代大型青釉龍紋魚缸

中國，十八至十九世紀。胎體厚重，深圓腹，邊緣外翻。外壁造型雕刻有兩條蜿蜒四爪龍，雲中戲珠，施淺青釉，邊緣漸薄。頸部和足部褐色釉，頸部雕刻著喜鵲和菊花，足部波浪紋。底座未上釉。


來源：
英國赫特福德郡的私人收藏，自二十世紀五十年代起，並由同一家族傳承。根據家族解釋，這些藏品大部分是1953 年在赫特福德穀物交易所的潘尚格莊園拍賣會上購買的。潘尚格是Earls Cowper伯爵的家族宅邸，由第五伯爵於十九世紀初建造。 該莊園擁有大量非凡的藝術收藏品，其中包括稀有且重要的中國藝術品。瓷器室展示瓷器，但畫廊、圖書館、客廳和小餐廳也保存著中國瓷器。一對清代宮廷粉彩鹿紋壺，2008年5月13日倫敦佳士得拍賣，拍品223號，售價804,500英鎊。

品相：
磨損和製造缺陷，例如釉面凹陷、麻點和黑點。一些到釉面的冲線，兩條星形裂紋，一處缺口到腳緣，一處缺口到內底（可能重新粘住）。

重量：26.9 公斤
尺寸：直徑 51.3 厘米, 高 45.5 厘米


文獻比較：


青釉龍紋魚缸是相對少見的。一件雍正款魚缸，收藏於北京故宮博物院，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧顏色釉》，卷37，香港，1999年，頁149，編號135。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2016年3月18日，lot 1648
價格：USD 329,000（相當於今日
EUR 384,000
）
描述：清十八/十九世紀粉青釉雙龍趕珠紋大缸
專家評論：比較相似的外形、青釉、模型、裝飾和龍紋。請注意頸部和足部沒有褐色釉，以及尺寸較大 (62.8 釐米)。


拍賣結果比較：


形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦蘇富比，2013年5月15日，lot 30,000
價格：GBP 30,000（相當於今日
EUR 54,000
）
描述：清十九世紀粉青釉「趕珠雲龍」紋魚缸
專家評論：比較相似的外形、青釉、模型、裝飾和龍紋。請注意頸部和足部沒有褐色釉。