Zetterquist Galleries

A Large Blue and White Charger with Coin and Floral Design

Le-So Dynasty 15th-16th c. Vietnam
Diameter: 38.75 cm

​An unusually large porcelaneous charger decorated in high quality cobalt blue with a coin depiction in the center, surrounded by bands of peony petals, encased in a double line and a ring of fire or waves. The cavetto is decorated with a wide band of scrolling peonies and the flattened round rim with an abstracted cloud motif. The exterior cavetto has overlapping peony petals surrounding the unglazed foot rim and underfoot with a wide band of iron oxide brown wash.

Two variations of this coin design on Ming Dynasty Chinese wares are published in Kodansha’s Oriental Ceramics: The World’s Great Collections, Pusat Museum Jakarta volume, indicating that this was a popular motif for export wares to Indonesia in the early Ming Dynasty, and thus adopted by the Vietnamese.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection and thus by decent to Ellen Menke.

Literature:
Published in Stevenson-Guy’s “Vietnamese Ceramics – A Separate Tradition” Avery Press, 1997. pl. 243

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Sgraffito Plate

Tran Dynasty 14th c. Vietnam
Diameter: 27 cm

A stoneware plate coated in iron oxide the carved with a large floral depiction in the center, set within three concentric circles and a scalloped pattern around the flattened rim. This sgraffito decoration was then filled in with a slip coating which stands white against a tan and brown background. The underside has been similarly coated with slip and sits on broad, flattened foot rim with shallow underfoot well, which is unglazed and revealing a light buff colored stoneware body.

While bowls incorporating this same decorative technique are well known, this is an unusual, and large example of a plate. One such bowl is published in “Dragons and Lotus Blossoms – Vietnamese Ceramics in the Birmingham Museum of Art” by John Stevenson and Donald Wood. Birmingham Museum of Art, 2011. Cat. 40.

Condition: Some rim fritting and areas of glaze flaking underneath.

Provenance:
Jochen May, Germany
David Menke

Literature:
Published in Hidden Treasures 2000 years of Vietnamese Ceramics by Jochen May. 2000, Pl. 35

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Blue and White Charger with Leaping Deer

Le-So Dynasties, 15th – 16th c. AD, Vietnam
Diameter: 33.4 cm

A large round charger of porcelaineous stoneware with a cobalt blue decoration of a leaping deer amongst three clouds and spiral design. The cloud and spiral motifs are reinterpreted on a surrounding band with just clouds around the interior cavetto. a narrow band of repeating crossed sword designs decorates the flattened rim. The back side has a band of ruyi petals around the side, and characteristic brown wash in the underfoot well. The foot-rim is unglazed, revealing a pale stoneware body.

Condition:
Good condition and glaze sheen.
One original iron firing “pop” on the interior.
Some reddish burial accretion on surface.

Provenance:
Ken Baar Collection, UK
Alberts Langdon, Boston
Stephen Kunian Collection, Boston

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Cobalt Blue Kendi

Le-So Dynasty 15th-16th c. Vietnam
Length: 20 cm

A Kendi form ritual stoneware ewer with compressed bulbous body surmounted by a tall neck that flares up to a disk-shaped mouth. A large mammo-form spout emanates from one side, and constricts to a very small mouth opening at its upturned end.

The entire piece is covered in a fine cobalt blue, likely of Persian origin. It has a flattened foot rim and a shallow underfoot washed in iron oxide brown.

Condition: Disk and spout with chip repairs.

Similar piece published in “Hidden Treasures 2000 years of Vietnamese Ceramics” by Jochen May. 2000, Pl. 72

Provenance:
Hoi An Hoard, Butterfields 2000, lot 48
John R. Menke Collection

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Blue and White Bottle Vase

Le-so Dynasty 15th – 16th c. Vietnam
Height: 23.5 cm

A Yuhuchun-ping form bottle vase with pear shaped body and long neck leading to a trumpet form mouth rim. The body is decorated with a band of Ruyi petals around the bottom half, and oblong cartouches with alternating wave and water plant designs. The upper body has downward facing Ruyi petals with wave and floral patterns, set below a narrow band of petals and a taller band of lotus leaves up the neck rim. The cobalt blue used in this decoration is of the finest quality Persian origins.

Similar piece in “Vietnamese and Chinese Ceramics Used in the Tea Ceremony” by Hiromu Honda and Noriki Shimazu” Oxford University Press, 1993. No. 37

Another example from the Seattle Museum of Art in “Vietnamese Ceramics and Separate Tradition” Stevenson – Guy, Avery Press 1997. No. 229

Condition: A large, old repair to the mouth-rim and neck

Provenance:
Robert P. Griffing Collection. (Honolulu academy of Art Director 1947-1963)
John R. Menke Collection

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Goryeo Celadon Bowl with Carved Lotus Petals

Goryeo Dynasty 11th – 12th c. Korea
Diameter: 18 cm

A stoneware rounded bowl with plain interior and three bands of delicately carved,overlapping lotus petals around its exterior walls. Each petal has an incised wavy line in the center, representing the center stalk of the petal. The piece sits on a slightly tapered foot, which is slightly rounded at its very bottom. The entire bowl and under-foot well are covered in a beautiful minty green translucent glaze.

Condition: There is an original small hairline firing crack visible under the glaze at the mouth rim.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection

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Goryeo Celadon Ewer with Incised Floral Decoration

Goryeo Dynasty 11th-12th c. Korea
Height: 23.5 cm Length 21.3 cm

A stoneware pouring vessel with steep-walled bowl form and sharp shoulders surmounted by a shallow dome top, which has been decorated with a band of lightly incised scrolling floral depictions. The mouth-rim is of short, straight form, which bevels inward at the edge. A long, elegantly formed spout emanates from the upper body which is finished with a tear-shaped rim reminiscent of metalwork spouts originating in Persia. A thick double-strap handle curls up from the body and attaches to the shoulder and is surmounted with a small loop at its apex. The entire piece is covered with a crackled glaze of finely realized and consistent green color typical of celadons of the period.

A piece of identical form excavated at the Sanbo Shiwa Ancient Tomb and now in the Korean National Museum, appears in Sekai Touji Zenshu, Vol. 18, pg. 138.

Another example (with lid) is published in “An Introduction to Koryo Celadon”, Osaka Museum of Oriental Ceramics,1992. pg. 173. pl. 147. A piece of similar form, but with inlaid decoration is illustrated in the May 1969 Hobart Collection catalogs at Park Bernet Galleries, pl. 29.

Condition: Body and glaze cracks and spout tip damage.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection

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Large White Ovoid Jar

Joseon Dynasty 19th c. Korea
Height: 37 cm

A large jar of elongated ovoid form covered in a white glaze. The mouth is slightly splayed outwards with a charmingly uneven profile. The straight foot tapers slightly inward and has unglazed areas fired to a dark gray color.

These jars are similar in type and finish to “moon jars” of the 18th – 19th centuries, but of more elongated form.

Condition:
There are two old large mouth rim chips repairs.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection

Zetterquist Galleries

Goryeo Celadon Cup Stand

Goryeo Dynasty, 11th – 12th c., Korea
Diameter: 15cm

A stoneware cup stand with a tall, flared petal-form base surmounted by a foliate plate-form rim with incised floral decoration in each section. The cup receptacle is a truncated dome with deeply incised lotus petals and a ridged rim. the interior of the receptacle is also decorated with an incised flower. The entire piece is covered with a sweet bluish-green celadon glaze of ideal tone.

Condition:
No structural damage.
Small glaze crawls where the receptacle meets the plate.
The plate section is somewhat warped.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection and thence by decent

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Joseon Vase with Copper Red Grapes

Joseon Dynasty 19th c. Korea
Height: 20.8cm

A jar of truncated pear-shape with curled mouth-rim and slightly splayed foot. The foot-rim is fired to a pale russet color. It is covered with a layer of slip, and decorated with underglaze blue decoration of scrolling grape vines and grapes. The grapes on the front are depicted in underglaze copper red, which has fired to a vibrant purple-red color.

A jar of similar form is published in Masterpieces of Korean Art 1957 Republic of Korea #150.

Condition:
Hairline crack from mouth rim about 1.5 inches. A scorched area on bottom back.

Provenance:
Kang Collection, New York
John R. Menke Collection

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Persimmon Bowl with Tall Foot

Song Dynasty 960-1270, China
Diameter: 10.2 cm

A small high-walled conical stoneware bowl with a tall, slightly splayed foot. The interior and exterior are covered with a finely realized persimmon (russet) colored glaze down to its foot rim. There are a couple of small unglazed areas near the foot, and the foot rim and underfoot which are unglazed, revealing a pale stoneware body, stained with burial earth, to a pale russet tint.

The underfoot has remnants of two old collection stickers, now unintelligible, and a third sticker (number 3950) from JJ Lally and Co. (Probably from the late 1980’s – early 1990’s)

While this piece is certainly from Northern China, it can be potentially attributed to the Dangyangyu kilns, pending further study.

Provenance:
John R. Menke Collection and by decent to his family.