Large Yuan Blue and White Meiping Vase with Interlocking Peony and Eight Treasures Motifs, Yuan Dynasty

拍品描述

Dimensions: 44 cm (17.32 inches) in height, a 13th-14th century Jingdezhen blue-and-white imperial plum vase. Condition and Provenance: This vase is in excellent condition, without cracks, chips, glaze peeling, or signs of repair. The thick, glossy, light-white glaze, painted with imported cobalt blue pigment, presents a rich and deep blue tone, dotted with natural rust spots hidden within the recessed floral decoration. The multi-layered blue-and-white decoration on the neck, shoulder, body, and foot is clear and complete, without large areas of fading or wear. The base features a typical Yuan dynasty spiral unglazed sand ring, retaining the dry, rough original clay; scattered fragments of natural kiln glaze are present on the bottom, untouched by modern polishing or artificial aging. This Yuan dynasty blue-and-white peony plum vase was acquired in 2019 by a private collector in Manhattan, New York, an expert in Ming and Qing imperial porcelain. New York and California were major global trading centers for imperial porcelain after the Song dynasty. Description: This museum-quality giant plum vase was fired in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen during the Yuan Dynasty. Using precious imported cobalt pigment, it is one of the finest surviving examples of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain, representing the pinnacle of craftsmanship at the time. It was specifically made for imperial display and intercontinental maritime trade. It follows the classic shape of Yuan Dynasty plum vases: a small mouth, a short and compact neck, a broad and full shoulder, a raised middle section, and a gradually narrowing unglazed sandy base. The overall shape is tall and elegant, with balanced proportions, typical of large storage and decorative vessels from the Yuan Dynasty. The entire piece is covered with a smooth and translucent pale celadon glaze, radiating a soft and delicate luster. Five clear horizontal decorative bands extend from the neck to the foot, encircling the entire vase, neatly divided and clearly layered. The short neck is decorated with eight vertically segmented patterns, each hand-painted, featuring Buddhist auspicious motifs such as the Dharma wheel, flaming pearl, lingzhi mushroom, and cross, with simple and crisp brushstrokes. A band of interlaced lotus patterns encircles the shoulder joint, with winding vines and leaves filling the blank space, creating a smooth and natural visual flow. The center of the vase features a large, winding peony, its full blossoms layered upon each other, complementing the lush foliage. Imported Sumari cobalt pigment produces a vibrant, rich indigo blue, with metallic rust naturally distributed within the carved grooves. Bold, unrestrained brushstrokes and a rich, balanced composition embody the grand and unrestrained artistic aesthetics of Yuan dynasty Chinese painting. Below the main peony motif is a delicate, wavy scrollwork dividing line, extending to eight layers of towering lotus petal patterns at the base. Each layer contains small floral branches, outlined with bold lotus lines—a typical stylistic feature of Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain. The flat, unglazed base is covered with clear clockwise spiral wheel marks, a typical characteristic of Yuan dynasty porcelain finishing techniques. The greyish-white, coarse pottery body has a slight natural iron-red tinge along the foot rim and retains untreated kiln-fired glaze spots, perfectly matching the characteristics of contemporary porcelain from the Jingdezhen kilns. Well-preserved Yuan dynasty blue-and-white plum vases are extremely rare worldwide. Large pieces with complete, multi-layered Eight Treasures patterns and rings of peony designs are coveted treasures by museums around the globe. This artifact, with its authentic, high-quality cobalt blue color, perfect large size, perfectly preserved layered decoration, and textbook-perfect details of the base clay, provides extremely high academic value for the study of medieval Chinese ceramic technology, royal art, and the ancient Maritime Silk Road trade.

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