Ripe for return

Ming Dynasty porcelain jar that sold for record amount in 2000 is back on the block in Hong Kong. Lin Qi reports.

In 2000, a spherical 16th-century polychrome jar which once adorned a Chinese emperors' palace sold for HK$44 million ($5.64 million) at a Hong Kong auction, establishing a world record for Chinese porcelain at the time. The jar had sound provenance, being once owned by Hu Huichun, an eminent Shanghai connoisseur of Chinese art during the 20th century. The victorious bidder was Robert Tsao, a Taiwan entrepreneur and noted collector of Chinese art. The bidding was fierce and Tsao's competitors included London-based Guiseppe Eskenazi, one of the most important Chinese art dealers in the world.

Tsao says what he likes the most about the porcelain jar is the lively depiction of fish swimming in a pond, and the attractive weeds that surround them. He says the scene is so vivid that it looks like a real fish tank from a distance.

The fish jar, which has been kept in Tsao's Le Cong Tang collection since then, will go under the hammer on Nov 27, as part of Christie's weeklong autumn auctions in Hong Kong.

A total of 13 imperial Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) objects from the collection, including the fish jar, will be auctioned there.

Other highlight lots include a qinghua (cobalt blue-and-white) basin of the early 15th century and a yellow-enameled bowl made between 1426 and 1435.

In October, a rare porcelain brush washer also from Tsao's collection fetched HK$294 million ($37.7 million) at a Hong Kong auction. It was produced at the Ru kiln, one of the five great kilns of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

The fish jar about to be auctioned demonstrates the maturity of wucai (five enamels) porcelain ware during the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1521-66).

Artisans at the imperial kiln fired the jar at least three times. They painted the patterns first with an under-glazed coating of qinghua cobalt blue and fired it. Then over this layer, they applied other popular colors including yellow, red and green.

The jar was one of the earliest examples of this technical breakthrough, says Chen Liang-lin from the Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department at Christie's in Hong Kong.

"Imperial kilns prior to the rule of Emperor Jiajing largely produced small, delicate objects that were suitable for handling and appreciation in the hand," she says.

Fine examples of this style included the porcelain chicken cups produced during Chenghua's reign (1464-87). Standing about 8 centimeters tall, one such cup from a private collection made $36 million at a Hong Kong auction in 2014.

Chen says when Emperor Jiajing was on the throne, porcelain makers improved their skills and developed kilns capable of firing larger wares in more vivid colors such as the fish jar, which stands at 46 centimeters.

The primary artistic radiance of this jar lies in how the artisans found ways to make the fish look so true to life.

"In real life, red carp would have an undertone of yellow, especially when they swim and reflect the light," says Lyu Chenglong, a porcelain expert at Beijing's Palace Museum.

Artisans applied a layer of yellow enamel and above it, another layer of iron red enamel.

Lyu says the artisans needed to be very careful when applying the color and firing, to prevent the two colors from covering each other entirely.

"The eight fish are harmoniously arranged in a simple composition. And people always see a delightful scene when looking at the jar from different angles," he adds.

"Artisans didn't paint water or waves. It wasn't necessary, because the fish and the weeds look so lively."

Chen says the complex blend of red and yellow enamels also carry an auspicious message that "the emperor's good fortune is as vast as the heavens".

She adds that the pattern also relates to Jiajing's religious beliefs as a devout Taoist.

"Fish often represent an ideal state of being in Taoism. Plus, the emperor claimed himself 'a fisherman of the heavenly pond'."

She adds that the use of complementary colors is evident on the jar - the contrasts between red and green and between organic hues and blue - recalling a similar technique adopted by Western artists such as Henri Matisse (1869-1954).

The spherical shape and the rich palette used in the fish jar required not only excellence in technique but sometimes, a bit of good luck.

"A major difficulty of porcelain making is the firing process, which is not determined by man's will," says Lyu.

He says that no matter how well-designed an object's pattern and shape are, unpredictable changes will occur after it is sent into the kiln for firing. This is why a refined porcelain ware such as the fish jar becomes so sought-after among collectors.

He says dozens of similar fish jars are held in art museum collections both at home and abroad, including the Palace Museum, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and the British Museum in London.

Lyu adds that the production of fish jars reflects the economic boom that began in the mid-Ming period, and an accumulation of wealth motivated a pursuit of luxury and exquisite artworks.

He says the fish jar is a fine example of the simple beauty representing the pinnacle of Chinese philosophy and aesthetics of the time.

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn