Jin Dynasty, 1127-1279 AD, China
Diameter: 11.5 cm
A small fluted plate with 26 deeply formed petals flaring out from a flattened center supported by a straight foot-rim. The interior center has four spur marks, which are repeated on the bottom of the foot. Of whitish clay body with a slightly ivory toned translucent glaze. Partial sticker from the Kempe Collection.
Provenance:
Collection of Carl Kempe (1884-1967)
Private Japanese Collection
Literature:
Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, PI. 431.
Mary Tregear, Song Ceramics, London, 1982, pl. 11.
(RIGHT)
Dingyao Lobed Ewer with Applied Palmette Medallion Handle
Early Northern Song Dynasty, 11th c. AD, China
Height: 15.5 cm
A small porcelaineous stoneware ewer of lobed melon form, sitting on a straight foot. The top has a small countersunk mouth-rim, over which arches a handle of twisted form on the back side, and three strands connecting to the front with molded palmettes. The short spout flares up from the top half of the body. There is a small restoration to the tip of the spout. The underfoot is unglazed, showing a white clay body, and bears the label of the Carl Kempe Collection. (1884-1967)
Provenance:
Carl Kempe Collection
Private Japanese Collection
Literature:
Bo Gyllensvärd, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl. 387.
The World’s Great Collections. Oriental Ceramics, vol. 8, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 97.
A large ewer of bulbous form with a cylindrical spout and a neck with flared mouth-rim. There is a double-strand handle that rises from the shoulder to just under the mouth-rim with three large beads and a curled decoration on the top and a flattened bead at the base. The entire piece sits on a wide, unglazed, splayed foot that has a flat bottom and reveals a white earthenware body. The rest of the piece is covered in a thin, pale glaze with very pale grey/green tint visible in mottled areas (small areas of glaze flaking near the edges of the spout and part of the mouth rim.) From the Gongyi Kilns.
TL tested- C-Link Research and Developement (Chinese University, Hong Kong) Report number 2748WE78.
A similar example from the Charles B. Hoyt Collection is in the MFA Boston, and is published in “The Charles B. Hoyt Collection”, MFA Boston 1952, pl. 140. Another, of slightly more compressed form, is published in “Series of Ancient Porcelain Kiln Sites; Gongyi Kiln of China”, Beijing 2011. Pg. 283 and 415.
Late Sui – early Tang Dynasty, 7th c. A.D., China
Height: 26 cm
A large stoneware jar with a straight collar neck and ovoid body with four double lug handles on the shoulder. The jar is covered with a pale green crackled glaze that pools to a deeper green in drips about two-thirds down the body. The bottom third of the body is unglazed revealing a white stoneware clay-body that sits on a flared, flat-bottomed foot. Repaired areas of glaze flaking and chips to the handles.
See similar in Sekai Toki Zenshu, Ahogakukan, 1976, vol. 11, pl. 108.
Provenance: From a private American collection and previously from a Japanese collection.
A deep square porcelaineous stoneware plate with foliate form rim and molded floral decorations around the cavetto, conforming to the petals. The inside bottom has a central coin shaped medallion with molded plum blossom pattern. The entire piece, except for its flat unglazed base, is covered with an idilic early Ding ware glaze that pools to a taupe color. One minute and two small rim chip restorations.
Although this piece is very much in the Liao Dynasty style, there is little doubt that it was produced in the Ding kilns. See “Selection of Ding Ware: The Palace Museum’s Collection and Archeological Excavation”, Beijing 2012 pl. 20. Identical pieces in Kodansha’s 1982 publication “Oriental Ceramics; World’s Greatest Collections” Vol. 8 pl. 27 from the Kempe Collection at The Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities.
Five Dynasties 10th c. A.D., China
Diameter: 17.2cm
A northern white ware porcelaineous stoneware shallow bowl with its rim carved in a foliate design of five lobes divided into two petals each, and covered with a translucent glaze. (Some minute rim chips.) The outside has ivory colored glaze pooling and sits on a straight, neatly cut unglazed foot-rim.
A similar example from the Carl Kempe Collection is published in “Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection”, Stockholm, 1964. pg. 113, pl. 338.
Song – Jin Dynasty 960 – 1279 A.D., China
Height: 13.5 cm
A globular jar sitting on a slightly flaired foot with a large funnel shaped mouth that straightens just at the rim. It has a white stoneware body that is covered with a translucent glaze that pools to an ivory color. The glaze stops just short of the foot, which is left unglazed underneath.
This form was used as a waste vessel in a dinner service.
A white porcelaineous stoneware ewer with a lobed melon form body sitting on canted foot-rim. The bottom of the lobes are shaved upwards, in a style similar to some Xing-type pieces. The shoulders are surmounted by an arched tubular spout opposite a double strand handle that attaches to the top of the flared mouth rim, and two small lug handles. The unglazed underfoot is deep with and incised circle in the center. The entire pieces is covered in a translucent glaze that pools at the bases of the lugs and spout to a very pale bluish tint.
A similar piece is published in:
“Fujian Ware Found in the Philippines” Oriental Ceramic Society of the Philippines, 2017. Pl. 51
Provenance:
From a private Japanese Collection, with an inscribed wooden box. Exported with a Bunkacho export certficate.
Based on a Persian bottle form from the 9th-10th century, this elegant bottle vase has a pear-shaped base the rises to a long neck, which is finished with two ridges at the mouth, reminiscent of earlier flask forms. The grey stoneware body is covered with slip and finally with a translucent glaze, a style known as “kohiki-type” in Japan.
The foot rim is unglazed, revealing a grey stoneware body fired to a dark russet brown color on the exterior. From the Zhangzhou kilns in Fujian Province, China. This kiln often produced for export, formerly referred to as Swathow Wares. The form of this example appears in Japanese kilns in the Hizen area in the second half of the middle Edo period, which were likely influence by Chinese imports.
A slightly more truncated version appears in the Longquan kilns in the Yuan period. See “Celadons from the Longquan Kilns” Beijing 1998. Pl. 159.
Provenance:
Collection of a U. S. Military Officer stationed in Asia during the 1940’s -early 1950’s, and thus by decent in family
Northern White-ware Double-Gourd Ewer with Guan Mark
Liao or Five Dynasties,10th c. A.D., China
Height: 21.6 cm
A porcelaineous stoneware ewer covered with a translucent ivory colored glaze that stops just short of its finely potted foot rim. The piece is formed of two spheres conjoined by a narrow connection giving it the appearance of a double gourd. The bottom section has a slightly flattened and ridged spout formed for pouring sideways. (old repair at tip.) A wide, flattened looped handle joins the top and bottom sections, and has a molded floral decoration. The unglazed under-foot has an incised “guan” character, incised after firing. A piece of similar form, but with double strand handle, appears in Xing Kiln of China, Beijing, 2012, pl. 97.
Provenance:
Private American Collection
Zetterquist Galleries, 2014
Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection
(RIGHT)
Cizhou Ewer
Jin Dynasty (12-13th century A.D.)
Height: 14cm
A stoneware ewer with a stout, covered-bowl shaped body with short spout and cylindrical neck, all covered with a white slip over a dark clay body, over which is an even translucent glaze.
The handle, in addition to its white underglaze has a geometric design in an iron-oxide, resembling the impressed patterns found on early Yaozhou handles.
The handle has two restored cracks.
A piece of identical form, but with carved decoration, is in the Cleveland Museum of Art, and published in their 1978 Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art, pg. 336.
A barrel shaped jar divided into six shallow lobes with six lug handles evenly spaced around the top. The short, beveled neck is surrounded by a collar of deeply carved lotus petals, which are repeated around the knob of the domed lid. The entire piece is covered in a finely crackled translucent yellowish-ivory colored glaze. The flat bottom is unglazed revealing pale buff clay body.
There are areas of glaze flaking and small chips on the rim.
With old fitted wooden box and old tea silks.
Provenance: From a private Japanese collection
Literature: Published in “Sekai Touji Zenshu” (Ceramic Art of the World) Shogakukan, Tokyo 1984, Vol. 16, pl. 4
and
“Masterworks of Eastern Ceramics” Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum 1994, pl. 11 (SE Asian section)
A white porcelaineous stoneware bowl with a molded ruyi petal design confined within a band of slanted key-frets, and encircling a central floral medallion with a band of waves. The exterior is white with burial staining, and the interior of the straight foot-rim is coated in chocolate brown, typical of Vietnamese wares. There is a sticker from Christies Paris, where it was acquired by John Menke.
Condition – Two small hairline cracks at rim, some glaze fritting at rim and bottom surface. Areas of burial staining.
Provenance:
Christies Paris
John Menke Collection
Zetterquist Galleries, New York
Private New York Collection
A large porcelaineous stoneware jar with high shoulders tapering down to a smaller flat foot. The slightly curved neck ends in a flaring, rounded mouth-rim. The piece is covered with a translucent glaze of pale greenish tone which ends a few centimeters above the foot, revealing a dense white porcelaineous stoneware body.
Accompanied by Oxford TL test #P100w52
Provenance:
From a private New York collection
Purchased in London
September 13 – 20, 2024
Please call or email to make an appointment
We are pleased to present White Wares from China and Vietnam during this season’s Asia Week New York Autumn 2024. The exhibition features Chinese pieces ranging from Tang Dynasty pieces to Five Dynasties, Jin Dynasty pieces from Ding, Xing, Houzhou, Cizhou and Southern Chinese kilns, and Vietnamese pieces dating from 11th – 16th centuries.
The stars of the exhibition are two oft-published Northern Chinese white wares formerly from the Carl Kempe Collection, and since, held in a private Japanese collection.
RECENTLY CLOSED EXHIBITION: ASIA WEEK NEW YORK 2024
Chinese and Vietnamese Ceramics from American and Japanese Collections
March 14 – 22, 2024
Asia Week Hours: Mar 14-22, 11am-6pm (otherwise by appointment)
We are delighted to present an exhibition of Chinese and Vietnamese Ceramics, all sourced from American and Japanese collections.
The Chinese pieces range in date from the Tang through Ming Dynasty, starting with a large Tang Dynasty whiteware jar, rare for its size and excellent condition. There is a selection of nine Song Dynasty pieces with fine examples of Ding, Yaozhou, Henan and Cizhou pieces from Northern China. From Southern China, there are elegant examples of Qingbai porcelains from the Hutien Kilns and a Jian-yao “Hare’s fur” tea bowl from a Japanese tea ceremony collection. From the Ming Dynasty there are two Longquan celadons; The barbed-rim charger with an ideal minty-green glaze color, and an exquisite “Gu” form vase, with Taoist trinary symbols, in an old lacquer box with silver inscription, also from a Japanese tea ceremony collection.
Most of the Vietnamese selections come from the collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles, whose extraordinary collection of Chinese ceramics sold in these rooms last Spring. They collected Vietnamese ceramics with the same exacting eye for quality, condition and beauty with which they chose their Chinese wares. Representing Northern Vietnamese kilns from the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225) through the Le Dynasty (1428-1788), this scholarly collection includes wares of varied techniques, forms and functions. From the elegant Thanh Hoa pieces with Buddhist inspired form, to Blue and white porcelaineous pieces of excellent condition and intricate decoration, this group exhibits the finest of Vietnamese wares.
We have added four other Vietnamese ceramics from Japanese and American collections which, as with many of the Cowles’ pieces, have illustrious provenance and publication histories.
This is our seventh Vietnamese exhibition in the last 30 years. It is a field that we thoroughly enjoy and still feel to be eminently collectable. The gallery is particularly fond of exhibiting Vietnamese ceramics together with Chinese ceramics, as it not only shows their inevitable stylistic and technical connections, but also highlights the unique charm and joyful spontaneity of Vietnamese design and decoration.
Zetterquist Galleries was founded in 1992 by Eric J. Zetterquist to present the finest of Asian ceramics throughout the ages. Our clients include major museums and the most discerning collectors of Asian ceramics from around the world.
While most Asian antiquities galleries choose one country and show several different media from that country, Zetterquist chose to show one medium, ceramics, but cover all of East Asia. The flow of materials with stylistic and technical influences around the region over the past 2,000 years tells a fascinating story that gets more exciting with time.
