Asian Art in London
29 October - 7 November 2009
16. A Celadon Glazed Porcelain Inkpalette
Qianlong under-glaze blue four-character seal mark and of the period (1736–95)
The shallow ink palette is shaped as a pomegranate fruit borne on a leafy stem. It is incised on the reverse to imitate seeds bursting through the skin of the fruit, and inscribed in cobalt blue with the reign mark in the centre surrounded by five spur-marks.
4.5 cm. wide
Provenance:
Dr. C. M. Franzero Collection, no. 257
Exhibited:
Oriental Ceramic Society, Celadon Wares, London, 20 October – 20 December 1947, no. 136
This fine ink palette is closely associated with of a group of fruit or leaf-shaped washers made in the Yongzheng and Qianlong period in celadon (imitation-Longquan), imitation-guan or imitation-Ru glazes, in keeping with the fashion of archaism often found in scholar’s studios. However these pieces have a distinct 18th century flavour in their naturalistic shapes and design. Although no other example identical to the current piece appears to be recorded, two peachshaped imitation-guan washers are in the collection of Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum – Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, nos. 217 and 232, and another in celadon glaze but highlighted in underglaze blue and red, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum – Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, no. 221, p. 243. Compare also a celadon-glazed lotus-leaf palette dated to the Yongzheng period, illustrated ibid, no. 173, p. 191.
