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Lot Essay
This extremely rare meiping, distinguished by its well-balanced, elegant form, refined composition, and intricate painting, stands as one of the finest examples of blue and white wares from the Yongle period. Its distinguished features not only reflect the artistic achievements of the period but also embody the cultural and philosophical ideals prevalent at the time.
There are only two known comparable examples with covers in museums, one is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 29, no. 27 (fig. 1); and the other is in the collection of the National Museum of China, illustrated in Studies on the Collection of the National Museum of China, Shanghai, 2007, p. 36, no. 11 (fig. 2). The current meiping appears to be the only one of this type in private hands and to be offered at auction.
The motif of the plantain can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, where it was frequently depicted alongside rocks, symbolising the harmonious interplay between softness and hardness. This pairing, often integrated into garden settings, served to accompany scholarly figures and underscored the philosophical tenets of metaphysics. Over time, the plantain evolved from a secondary element into a primary subject, as evidenced in the work of Ke Jiusi (1290-1343) (fig. 3), in which the plantain and rock on this album leaf closely resembles to the ones on the present meiping.
This shift is also evident in porcelain decoration, where the motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain gained prominence in the early 15th century. Their popularity stemmed from auspicious connotations associated with longevity, health, and peace, as well as their representations of loyalty and scholarly spirit. Such subject matter can be found on Yongle blue and white wares of various forms, including a blue and white yuhuchunping, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 35, no. 33 (fig. 4); and a bowl, ibid., p. 75, no. 72 (fig. 5).
Vessels adorned with motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain were commissioned by the imperial court throughout the Qing dynasty, with potters instructed to emulate designs from the Ming originals. Despite this continuity in aesthetic tradition, no examples of meiping featuring these specific motifs seemed to survive. For other Qing examples, see a Qianlong-marked yuhuchunping sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 22 April 2021, lot 3622.
There are only two known comparable examples with covers in museums, one is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 29, no. 27 (fig. 1); and the other is in the collection of the National Museum of China, illustrated in Studies on the Collection of the National Museum of China, Shanghai, 2007, p. 36, no. 11 (fig. 2). The current meiping appears to be the only one of this type in private hands and to be offered at auction.
The motif of the plantain can be traced back to the Tang dynasty, where it was frequently depicted alongside rocks, symbolising the harmonious interplay between softness and hardness. This pairing, often integrated into garden settings, served to accompany scholarly figures and underscored the philosophical tenets of metaphysics. Over time, the plantain evolved from a secondary element into a primary subject, as evidenced in the work of Ke Jiusi (1290-1343) (fig. 3), in which the plantain and rock on this album leaf closely resembles to the ones on the present meiping.
This shift is also evident in porcelain decoration, where the motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain gained prominence in the early 15th century. Their popularity stemmed from auspicious connotations associated with longevity, health, and peace, as well as their representations of loyalty and scholarly spirit. Such subject matter can be found on Yongle blue and white wares of various forms, including a blue and white yuhuchunping, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelains with Underglaze Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 35, no. 33 (fig. 4); and a bowl, ibid., p. 75, no. 72 (fig. 5).
Vessels adorned with motif of bamboo, rock, and plantain were commissioned by the imperial court throughout the Qing dynasty, with potters instructed to emulate designs from the Ming originals. Despite this continuity in aesthetic tradition, no examples of meiping featuring these specific motifs seemed to survive. For other Qing examples, see a Qianlong-marked yuhuchunping sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 22 April 2021, lot 3622.