Lot 194
PAIR OF FLAMBÉ GLAZED 'POMEGRANATE' VASES, 18th/19th Century
Lot 194 Details
PAIR OF FLAMBÉ GLAZED 'POMEGRANATE' VASES, 18th/19th Century
Of lobed and broad ovoid body, all raised from a short spreading foot, covered in an incandescent glaze of strawberry tone widely streaked in milky blue and purple draining from the outward-turned rim indented at the edges where the glaze pales to a light brown, the bases unglazed
height 12.2" — 31.1 cm.
Estimate $15,000-$20,000
Provenance:
Christie’s New York, March 24, 2011, lot 1753.
Private Toronto Collection.
Note:
With respect to Chinese porcelain, a flambé glaze refers to a rich reddish-purple coat of colour layered with lavender and milky-blue streaks. This spectacular glaze is the result of mixing elements such as copper, iron, cobalt, and titanium in a high-fired 1300-degree reduction inside the kiln. This 'accidental beauty' was first discovered during the Tang dynasty (618-907) for phosphatic glazed earthenware, and was perfected on porcelain in the Yongzheng Period (1723-1735).
It was during the 18th Century that the Imperial Workshop was able to moderately control the quality of the flambé by spraying transparent glazes onto the layer of un-fired pigments, and also by adjusting the percentage of the porcelain’s clay body. The current pomegranate vases, with its well-manipulated patterns and deep purplish tones, showcases the technical advancements in firing the flambé glaze, and its requirement of a highly experienced temperature control and material quality.