Fruit Pyramids

These pyramids have moulded fruits piled onto fluted dishes. They have bright enamelling in a limited palette of ochre yellow, green and brown glazes – a colour combination known in China as sancai Each fruit was individually moulded, then arranged layer by layer and joined with slip. The veined leaves were added last before firing. The coloured enamelling would be added onto the biscuit body, after which it was fired again at a lower temperature.

The various fruits on these dishes are rendered very naturalistically. The lychee pyramid, is glazed in yellow, brown and green and interspersed with small green and a few yellow leaves. The fruit is arranged standing upright in four layers in a yellow glazed dish. The two other pyramids, both depict finger citrons (foshou 佛手柑) - also known as Buddha’s hand. They are enamelled in a rich ochre yellow, the glaze pooling to a darker colour in the indentations. One has nine citrons in three layers, in a dish with just a green rim. The other has a larger arrangement in four layers, each fruit with some additional green glazing, in a dish which is yellow outside with a green rim.

Such porcelain derives from the Chinese tradition of piling offerings of sweetmeats and fruits onto house altars to honour the ancestors. These porcelain models are probably related to earlier funerary models of food dishes, used in burials for use in the afterlife. Artificial fruit dishes such as these, were certainly an excellent and practical alternative to using fresh fruit. These exotic looking objects, were also exported to the West as luxury curiosities throughout the 18th century. The earliest recorded example in Europe of such a fruit pyramid, was a small sketch made by Gabriel de Saint-Aubin in the French auction catalogue of Monsieur Gaignat in 1769.

China, Kangxi period (1662-1722)

H: 45 cm

PROVENANCE

James A. Garland Collection, USA, 1895 (inv.no.1024)

With Joseph Duveen, New York

J.P. Morgan Collection, USA, 1902 - 1914 (inv.no.862)

Private Collection, Europe, 2013

With Vanderven Oriental Art, The Netherlands

LITERATURE

Beijing 1989, no.32

Bushell 1896 (ed. 1980), pl.XVII p.379

Bushell & Laffan 1907, p.156 no.862

Davids & Jellinek 2011, p.191 & 328

Getz 1895, p.34 & pl. case 3

St. Clair 2016, p.134-136

Strouse 2000

Welch 2008, p.173, 176, 215 & 216

A pair of unusual pear-shaped vases with famille verte enamels on a white ground, handsomely decorated with highly auspicious figures and symbols. The bulbous body stands on a high foot, the tall neck gently flaring out to a wide mouth. On both sides is a large Chinese character for Shou and Fu, filled with a diaper pattern and outlined in black. It is overlaid with a large circular reserve medallion with scenes of Daoist figures in a landscape. The everted mouth has a band of lingzhi fungus alternating in yellow, aubergine and green, with a row of black dots below. The neck is decorated with two flying cranes holding a branch with a peach, alternating with cloud clusters. Clouds are the symbol of the celestial realms and the cranes emblems of longevity – both typical Daoist emblems. The lower neck has four adjoined ornamental bands in green, yellow and black with various repeating designs. The high foot, is decorated with light green overlapping stylised leaves. Around the slightly flaring foot rim, are another three pattern-bands in yellow, aubergine and dark green.

Overlaying the Shou (longevity) characters on both vases, is a scene of the Daoist Star Gods with three boys. The figure of Shoulao (God of Longevity), offers a large peach – the magical immortality fruit - to one of the boys. The other two figures are Fuxing (God of blessings holding a child) and Luxing (God of Rank and Emolument holding a sceptre). In popular religion, these Daoist deities were believed to help you achieve happiness, long life and wealth. The panels over the large characters for Fu (happiness) have a scene of the Eight Daoist immortals in a garden with a large pine tree. Each immortal can be identified by their appearance and the attribute they carry.

The underside of these vases have fabulously preserved labels from the Garland, as well as the Morgan collections. There are also several additional unidentified inventory numbers and labels. They were on loan to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, first from James Garland and later J.P. Morgan.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has a famille verte rouleau vase, with similar bold decoration on the body (acc.no. 21.2283). The Palace Museum, Beijing also has a rouleau vase, decorated with large character overlayed with panels, very similar to these. The Jie Rui Tang Collection, USA also has a pear-shaped vase of a similar shape decorated in famille verte enamels (no. 1330). The Burrell Collection, Glasgow has a similar shaped vase, but in underglaze cobalt blue (acc.no. 38.1043).

EXHIBITED

The Metropolitan Museum, New York 1895-1913 Wadsworth Atheneum, Morgan the Mind of a Collector, 2017 (Loan TL2017.29.6A)

PUBLISHED IN

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Hand-Book of a Collection of Chinese Porcelains Loaned by James A. Garland, 1895, p.34 & pl.case 3 Catalogue of the Morgan Collection of Chinese Porcelain 1907 no. 862 – 863

James A. Garland (1840-1906) was a prominent New Yorker, the Vice-President of the First National Bank of New York and an organiser and builder of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Like J.P. Morgan, he was a client of Duveen Brothers and a serious collector of art works, especially Chinese porcelain.

The James A. Garland collection of Chinese porcelain, was one of the largest and comprehensive in the United States, comprising over a thousand Kangxi blue and white and coloured porcelains. The collection was permanently on loan to The Metropolitan Museum, New York until his death in 1902. It was sold to the Duveen brothers for $500,000, who quickly sold the collection to John Pierpoint Morgan (1837 – 1913), another fervent collector of Chinese porcelains.

China, Kangxi period (1662 – 1722), circa 1710

Ø: 20.4 cm

PROVENANCE

With John Sparks, London (label)

Collection Dreesman no.18 (label)

Sotheby’s Amsterdam Oct 1999, lot no.24

With Vanderven & Vanderven Oriental Art 1999 van Daalen Collection, Geneva, Switzerland 2019

LITERATURE

Bartholomew 2006, p.43

Jörg 2011, p.55 no.53

Leidy 2015, no.36

Pei 2004, p.59-61

Schumacher 2010, no.64

A pair of octagonal famille verte plates, decorated with dragons chasing a flaming pearl amongst stylised clouds. The slight upstanding rims, have a pattern of green crested waves with red blossoms. The central panels depict swirling four-clawed dragons, their faces turned sideways, mouths open and wavy tendrils issuing from their nostrils. They have elongated scaley bodies - one blue with a green head, the other green with a blue head. Each beast has two legs clearly visible; the other two claws just peek out from under their yellow bellies. The blue dragon is surrounded by green stylised clouds, the green dragon by blue ones. Both are chasing a red and gold flaming pearl. The bases have an apocryphal Chenghua mark in a blue double circle. These Dragon plates have a fabulously documented provenance history, which is apparent from the labels still on the bottom of the plates.

The dragon (long) is the creature most associated with China, permeating its arts. Ranked first among its mythological beasts, it is associated with goodness, power and is a symbol of the Emperor himself - particularly the five-clawed dragon. The use of four-clawed dragons was reserved for nobles and high ranking officials. Unlike Western dragons, the Chinese variety is a good-natured creature and a potent symbol of male vigour and fertility. An often recurring motif, involving one or more dragons, is that of dragons chasing a ‘flaming pearl’. The origin for this mysterious fiery ball is probably Buddhist iconography, where a similar object appears as a wishing jewel (cintamani) symbolising wisdom. Dragons depicted in combination with waves, emphasise their water-giving powers, symbolising longevity and abundance.

The Groninger Museum in The Netherlands has a famille verte bowl depicting similar green and blue dragons (obj.no.1960.0055); as does the Ariana Museum, Geneva (inv.no.AR2007-171). The British Museum, London has a large dish with a single blue and green dragon chasing a flaming pearl (acc.no.Franks.510.+).

China, second half 18th century

H: 22.6 cm

PROVENANCE

Private Collection, Paris

LITERATURE

Bartholomew 2006, p.30

Welch 2008, p.48-49

A highly unusual pair of monochrome vases, moulded in the form of large upright finger citrons. They are robustly potted and glazed on the biscuit in bright turquoise enamels, which is lightly crackled. The asymmetric mouth opening is surrounded by the lobed fingers of the fruit. They stand on a high foot-ring, with moulded leaf decoration. The underside and inside are unglazed.

The fingered citron (citrus medica var. sarcodactylis) is an unusually shaped citrus variety, with a thick rind which has peculiar finger-like protrusions on one end. In China it is also referred to as Buddha’s Hand, as it resembles the hand position (dhyana mudra) of Buddha in meditation. The origin of this fruit variety can be traced back to northeastern India and southern China, where most domesticated citrus varieties originate. The fruit is not edible unless it is preserved with salt or sugar, but very fragrant. Its strong scent makes it a popular choice as an altar offering during new year’s celebrations.

The Chinese characters in its name (foshou 佛手), are very emblematic. The character fo (buddha) is a play on the word for blessings and riches fu. The second character shou (hand), is also a pun for longevity. This makes the finger citron a highly popular emblem for happiness, longevity and good fortune.

Vases such as this would have been a highly symbolic object for the Chinese. But when it entered Europe, it would have mainly been valued for its beautiful bright colour and exotic imagery. We know of no other similar vases.

Porcelain China, 18th century

Gilt-bronze mounts 19th century

H: 16.5 cm | L: 21 cm

PROVENANCE

With dealer Asia Africa Museum, Geneva (Label) inv.no. AMA3595

LITERATURE

Ayers 2016, p.614 no.1435

Castelluccio 2013

Kjellberg 2000, p.93

Lunsingh-Scheurleer 1980, p.290 pl.237

Watson 1980

Watson 1986

This lavish ornamental object comprises of various elements of Chinese porcelain, mounted in gilt-bronze. A turquoise glazed reclining figure and a carp, are sitting amongst bulrushes on a rocky underground. The taller wavy leaves of the rushes, as well as a few catkins, are arranged behind the figures. Some shorter bended leaves are placed around the sides and front of the group. The carp amusingly spouts gilt bronze ‘water’ from its mouth. The gilt-metal base has a broad concave band and stands on ornamental pierced feet.

The reclining figure, represents the well-known Tang Dynasty romantic poet Li Bai (701-766 AD), also referred to as Li Taibo the Poet Immortal. He is one of the greatest imperial poets of his day, but became particularly famous for his great drunkenness. He is therefore often portrayed leaning drunkenly against a wine jar, as he is here.

Originally this figure of Li Bai was made as a waterpot and the carp as a water dropper – both items intended for the Chinese scholar’s desk. On entering Europe, these objects lost their original usage and meaning, but were certainly appreciated for their exotic allure. During the 18th century, French dealer-decorators known as the marchandsmercier, would combine and embellish beautiful foreign objects such as these, turning them into new highly fashionable works of art.

The Walters Museum in Baltimore has a mounted group with two turquoise carp, but with a central cup surrounded with bulrushes (acc.nr 49.2266).

China, Dehua, Fujian Province, mid 18th century

H: 25 cm

PROVENANCE

Private Collection, The Netherlands

LITERATURE

Ayers 2016, p.50 no.44-45

Bartholomew 2006, p.64

Jörg & van Campen 1997, p.245 no.282

Penkala 1980, p.181

New York 1986, p.90 no.10

Pei 2004, p.94

A blanc de chine porcelain figure of Guanyin seated on a high rockwork base, holding a child on her lap. She has an elegant pose and serene expression, befitting the Goddess of Mercy. She wears loose robes, one bare foot peeping out from under her flowing garments. Her hair is in a top knot covered loosely by her mantle. Her right leg appears to be folded up and the other hanging down, in a pose known as Royal Ease (lalitasana). The child holds a lotus bud, forming a symbolic combination which can be read as ‘may you continuously give birth to distinguished sons’. The whole is thickly potted, with a hollow body which is unglazed on the inside. The outside is covered in a thick transparent glaze, typical of wares from Dehua.

The bodhisattva Guanyin is generally depicted as a female in flowy white robes, peering downwards with an expression of purity and wisdom. She embodies the motherly virtues of compassion and mercy and was thought to have particular fertility granting powers. Holding a boy on her lap she is known as Guanyin songzi 送子观音 - the giver of children. In this manifestation she was the focus prayers for women wanting male offspring; which in China was considered vital for the continuation of the family lineage.

Guanyin is widely worshiped in Chinese culture and is depicted in many forms and sizes. These smaller scale figurines would have been useful for placing on the family house altar. But they were also a popular export product, probably for their striking resemblance to Christian images of the Madonna and Child.

A slightly smaller similar figure is in Porzellansammlung Dresden (inv.no. PO 8563 ). The Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore has an example with traces of lacquer (acc.no. 2002-00326). Other comparable examples are in the Rijksmuseum, (inv.no. AK-MAK 658) and Royal Collection Trust, UK which has several (RCIN58841.1-2).

China, 19th century

H: 50 cm | W: 28 cm

PROVENANCE

Collection Altmeyer, France 2012

LITERATURE

Boulay 1984, p.182, pl.3

Donnelly 1969, p.126

Liu 2007, pl.85

Scagliola 2012, p.312, pl.397

Welch 2008, p.38-39

A large Blanc de Chine porcelain plum blossom tree, comprising two large intertwined trunks. The crowns have smaller branches, which are adorned with blossom in various stages of bloom - buds as well as flowers. The realistically modelled trunk ends in big gnarly roots. The kaolin clay around the porcelain production city of Dehua, was especially good for shaping and moulding objects like this, the purity of the clay resulting in a bright white porcelain. Blossom trees were among the more sculptural pieces created by the Dehua potters during the 18th and 19th centuries, and probably made for the European market. These trees are known in different sizes, this example appears to be among the largest created.

This tree represents a prunus or plum blossom tree (meihua), which in China are very emblematic and laden with symbolic meaning. They are greatly admired for their beauty, which is why their blooms are considered ‘the first amongst flowers’ and a very popular subject matter for art and poetry. As the flowers always emerge before the leaves, it’s flowering heralds the coming spring and is therefore the representation of winter. Being so hardy, this tree also represents hope and endurance during adversity. The five flower petals, embody the many ‘fives’ in Chinese imagery - including the five gods of prosperity; five good fortunes; five good luck gods etc. In modern China the meihua is also the National Flower, its petals representing the five Chinese peoples: Han, Manchu, Mongol, Mohammedan and Tibetan.

The Asian Civilisations Museum has a similar large example, but with figures (acc.no. 2019-00535). Smaller trees in square containers are in The Laura Collection, Turin, and the British Museum, London (acc.no.1980,0728.198).

PROVENANCE

With Vanderven & Vanderven, 1990

Private Collection, Germany 2022

TL tested by Oxford Authentication, 1988

LITERATURE

Bonneux 2006, p.81-2 no.99

Harrist & Bower 1997, p.54-55 no.1

Jacobson 2013, p.60-61

Kentucky 2000, p.138 no.121

Liu 1991, p.116-117

New York 2017, p.94-94 no.1

Paris 1995, p50 no.10

Paris 2014, p.81 no.16

Wang 1994, p.107

A large pottery figural group of a mounted cavalryman. The horse stands four square, its ears pricked backwards, teeth bared and nostrils flared - poised to respond to his master’s command. This sturdy barrel-chested horse, is painted reddish brown with its tack and saddle drawn onto the body with contrasting white pigment. The rider wears a short red tunic with a rolled collar and a white undergarment over narrow white trousers. His red head-covering with a black band, is tied under the chin, his facial details lightly moulded and accentuated in black. His hands are folded into fists and would probably have originally held reins or brandished a spear. The legs of the rider were moulded as part of the horse; the rider’s hollow upper-body was made separately and slotted onto the horse using a long wooden pin. The moulded tail, which is docked and bound, is detachable.

This equestrian group, reflects the Western Han transition from warfare based on infantry and chariots, to that using lighter faster cavalry units. This transformation was propelled by the use of new superior horses, which were clearly larger and more muscular than those from previous periods. It is from this early Han period, that they started cross-breeding stockier native horses with larger, faster and more agile mounts. These new breeds were thought to have been acquired through trade with the nomadic Xiongnu tribes, from the steppes north of Chinamarking the beginning of the northern Silk Road trade routes.

Cavalrymen such as this one, typify a style associated with royal Western Han burials, found just North East of the Imperial capital Xi’an in Shaanxi province. At the Yangjiawan site a massive 583 equestrian riders, much like this one, were found within the mausoleum complex of Emperor Gaozu (r.205-195 BC). They were unearthed in 1965 from two satellite grave mounds, thought to house the tombs of general Zhou Yafu (d.169 BC) and his son. Such burial honours were usually only accorded to imperial family members and others persons of high status.

Similar cavalrymen are now in the Xianjang City Museum. Musée Guimet, Paris also has a similar horse in its collection (MA6089) as does the Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA, (acc.no.2001.205a-c).

The Han dynasty was one of the truly great dynasties in China, in terms of statecraft, economy, agricultural reform and culture. The powerful rulers made a host of industrial innovations, including mass production and uniformization of processes. Ritual and burial were still considered essential to be successful in the afterlife, so the Han rulers spent up to third of their state revenue on building their imperial tombs during their lifetimes. The importance of these extended burials in Han society was such, that the manufacture of figurines and other funeral objects (mingqi, 明器) even became a specialist trade.

China, Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)

H: 57.5 cm - 61 cm

PROVENANCE

With Lam & Co, London

R. Woodhead Collection, United Kingdom, 2022

TL tested by Oxford Authentication

LITERATURE

Bonneux 2006, p.70-77, no.1&2

Desroches 1996, p.31-33

Jenkins 2005, p.104-105

Ledderose 2000, p.65

Mater 2011, p.114-143

Paris 2000, p.249 no.97

Paris 2014, p.71-75 no.8-11

Sun 2017, p.114-115, no.36a

Taipei 2009, p.82-111

A group of Chinese pottery figures known as ‘Stickmen’, for their upright and elongated appearance. The bodies were made in individual moulds for the body, legs, feet and heads. Facial features, such as nose and ears, were added later by hand giving each piece its unique character. The figure would then be assembled with clay and fired, the body colours and details cold painted on afterwards. The solid bodies would have originally been clothed with textile or leather garments, now deteriorated. Their articulated arms were presumably made of wood or another natural material, which have also decayed over time. We know from excavations that such nude figures, were interred in great number in imperial and noble burials, forming a vast household retinue for the deceased in the afterlife. This entourage not only featured figures of attendants and soldiers, but also horses and other farm animals, small buildings and other useful artefacts.

Stickmen were first uncovered on the burial site of Emperor Jing (r.157141 BC) in the Han Yanglin Mausoleum Complex (Shaanxi province). Excavated ceramic workshops also revealed how such figures were mass produced, supplying the ever increasing demand for such goods. The sheer number of figures found was extraordinary; and even though smaller in size, they surpassed the famous Terracotta army in volume, numbering over 40,000 figures. This period also marked the end of the practice of human sacrifice for burial rituals in China. Previously slaves had been interred with the deceased rulers, but his practice lost favour from the Warring States period (475-221 BC) onwards. Figures and artefacts made of wood, pottery, bronze or other materials, gradually began to be preferred in burials.

Musée Guimet, Paris has such male figure (MA5141) and two females are now in the Portland Art Museum, Oregon. The Asian Art Museum, San Francisco also has a stickman in their collection (acc.no. 1996.27.1). One from the famous Yangling Museum was on loan in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 2017. A larger group was exhibited in the Drents Museum, Assen in 2008.

PROVENANCE

With Vanderven & Vanderven 2007

Private Collection, The Netherlands 2021

TL Tested by Oxford Authentication

PUBLISHED

PAN Amsterdam Fair catalogue 2007, p.251

LITERATURE

Bower 2002, p.129 no.45

Caroselli 1987, p.54-55 & cat.no.60

Choi 2007, p.252 no.111

Cologne 2008, p.11 pl.14-15

Harrist & Bower 1997, p.68 no.8

Jacobson 2013, p.224-225

Kentucky 2000, p.156 no.144

Thorpe & Bower 1982, p.64-64 no.38