Yuan Blue‑and‑White Porcelain Boat Sculpture

拍品描述

Dimensions：H.9 cm. W.15 cm., 14th‑century Yuan Dynasty Condition & Provenance：The vessel remains intact without cracks; minor age wear on the molded figure, no chips or breaks. Natural cobalt tone, well‑preserved glaze. Unglazed flat base bears ancient soil patina and iron speckles, no restoration or over‑painting. Private collection, New York, New York State, USA. Acquired from a Vancouver antique gallery in the 1990s, kept in family constant‑temperature storage, never publicly exhibited, no prior auction history.Description：This Yuan blue‑and‑white porcelain boat is a rare sculptural decorative artifact of the Yuan dynasty. Modelled after ancient Chinese pleasure barge, it combines moulding, appliqué carving, open‑work and under‑glaze blue painting. The hull is flat‑bottomed and elongated, with robust, unrefined trimming typical of Yuan craft. Exposed base shows off‑white clay dotted with iron spots and aged soil encrustation.The hull exterior is decorated in horizontal registers: upper band features linked geometric lozenge and meander patterns, lower band covered with dot‑pattern ground, rendered with crisp outlines. The superstructure includes cabins, pavilions and stern awning. Open‑work arched windows and balustrades are realistically reproduced; cabin roofs are painted with cross‑hatch brocade patterns. A molded boy figure clings to the cabin side, rendered in lively playful posture, hair and facial features highlighted by cobalt wash, vividly depicting the scene of leisure boating.Painted with Yuan domestic cobalt pigment, the blue tone presents grey‑blue variable shades, with dark speckles accumulated at thick pigment areas and natural bleeding effect consistent with Yuan blue‑and‑white characteristics. Symbolizing smooth voyage and good fortune, porcelain boat sculptures from Yuan period are extremely scarce and most surviving examples are fragmentary. This complete example integrates fine sculpting and blue‑and‑white decoration, standing as a precious surviving Yuan porcelain art object.

图片