This season, our Spring Collection places emphasis on ceramics, with a particular focus on works from Jingdezhen. Long recognized for its extensive history of porcelain production, Jingdezhen remains an important centre for both traditional and contemporary ceramic craftsmanship. Ceramic wares have been produced in the city for over 1,700 years, peaking in innovation and mastery with the founding of the imperial kilns during the early Ming (1368) right through until the end of the Qing dynasty. More recently, this legacy has been celebrated with the opening of the Imperial Kiln Museum (2020) designed by leading Chinese architect Zhu Pei. This ongoing dialogue between past and present provides the perfect backdrop for the artworks presented in our new Spring Collection.
Highlights in this season’s collection include Third Outing (Imperial kilns, Jingdezhen, 1796-1820). One of the rarer mould formed bottles from the Jiaqing period, the relief design features a continuous motif of the Eight Daoist Immortals in a waterside landscape, three in a boat and five standing on a grassy bank. The imagery of rocks and pine trees framed with ‘thunder pattern’ leiwen and lingzhi further reinforce the longevity symbolism here, with the foot of the bottle inscribed in iron-red seal-script Jiaqing nian zhi 嘉慶年製 (‘Made during the Jiaqing era’).
Our selection of bottles from Jingdezhen is also complemented by a fine example of stoneware from Yixing, a region noted for its distinctive clay teaware initially produced during the Song dynasty (1960 - 1279) and later exported to Europe during the 17th century. Slip Master Idyll comprises a hexagonal form divided into two main sides, decorated with slip. One side depicts flowering spring shrubbery, the other an idyllic Jiangnan water-side scene with an open pavilion beside the water.
As ever, we hope that you enjoy the collection and wish you all the best for the season of spring this year.