Ming Yongle Blue and White Large Plate with Three Longevity Peach Motifs, Early 15th Century Imperial Ming Porcelain

拍品描述

Dimensions: Rim Diameter 20.7cm (8.15in), Height 3.8cm (1.50in), Early 15th CenturyCondition & Provenance: The plate is fully intact without cracks, chips, glaze loss or any restorations. The imported Sumali cobalt pigment delivers steady deep blue tones, with naturally formed iron rust spots deeply embedded into the porcelain body. The glaze surface is smooth and lustrous, and the exposed foot rim bears authentic aged rust-red firing patina with no modern artificial distressing. This masterpiece was part of a long-standing private Oriental art collection based in Manhattan, New York State, USA, acquired back in 1998 and released to the market in 2023. Complete Yongle imperial plates decorated with three peach motifs are extremely scarce worldwide, and intact imperial-grade specimens like this one rarely surface from American private collections.Description: This shallow wide plate represents a classic imperial porcelain shape from the Yongle reign of Ming Dynasty, featuring an open broad mouth, gentle shallow curved belly and low neatly trimmed foot ring, presenting a full balanced silhouette with soft elegant outlines. The porcelain body is compact and fine-grained, fully covered with thick, creamy sweet white glaze that radiates subtle soft luster. The plate’s center is enclosed within double underglaze blue circles, housing a hand-painted folded branch motif bearing three plump longevity peaches. Twisted rugged branches pair with meticulously detailed veined leaves, each peach fruit rendered with dense dark speckles to mimic natural fruit texture, carrying the traditional auspicious meaning of longevity, prosperity and abundance. The brushwork is bold and unrestrained, drawing artistic influence from late Yuan ink wash painting styles. Three sets of branching floral scrolls wrap evenly around the entire exterior wall, with balanced spacing that creates perfect visual coordination with the interior central decoration. The blue pigment is rare imported Sumali cobalt ore exclusive to early Ming imperial kilns, exhibiting a deep rich blue tint with faint dark undertones. Where pigment accumulates on peach fruits and branch trunks, sunken iron rust speckles form naturally, the most iconic identifying feature of authentic Yongle imperial blue and white porcelain. The base foot bears no inscribed reign mark, only fine pale yellow exposed porcelain clay with natural ancient firing rust patina, consistent with the well-documented convention of unmarked imperial wares from Yongle period. The overall composition is minimalist yet grand, adorned with elegant auspicious imagery, fully preserving the complete manufacturing standards of Yongle imperial kilns including cobalt material application, figure painting, porcelain body shaping and glaze firing techniques. It stands as a core reference artifact for academic research on early Ming imperial peach auspicious patterns and Sumali cobalt firing technology. It is a premier centerpiece for specialized collections of Ming imperial blue and white porcelain and qualifies for long-term museum exhibitions focused on early Ming imperial ceramics, holding extraordinary cultural relic value, artistic merit and research significance for traditional Chinese auspicious folk culture.

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