Gran pecera de dragón, azul y blanco, dinastía... Lot n° 115

明隆庆 (1567-1572) 青花海水云龙戏珠纹大缸 Large porcelain tub with a circular base, flat also on the inside, supporting the slightly arched walls of the piece. It tops the form with a mouth, with a flattened and thickened rim, which emerges towards the exterior. The shape is not perfectly regular, with a certain oscillation in the profile. This typology called Chinese fishbowl (Gāng 缸) or "fish-bowl" is a special product to house fish, with the intention of observing them, or to contain water. The decoration has been made in cobalt blue, underglaze and on a white background, and mainly depicts dragon patterns. In addition, the outer rim there is a line of ancient coins and on the upper face a succession of arabesques between a double ring. The use of these colors is influenced by Taoism. The blue tonality used to represent the hair of the dragons stands out in this period for its richness and brightness. The piece features a main decorative band, around the outer wall, with two pairs of five-clawed imperial dragons of vivid, powerful and fierce form. They are surrounded by auspicious clouds, swaying and curling, and set above a raging, crashing sea. Each group goes in search of a flaming pearl of wisdom, on a sacred mountain, in opposite postures and their bodies curled up. This scene represents the concept "四海升平" which could be translated as "the four seas are at peace" or "universal peace". Dragon patterns of the Jiajing and Longqing periods usually have arched heads, windmill-shaped claws, curved wavy tails and raised manes. The expression they reflect is exaggerated because the eyes protrude slightly. These types of depictions are seen to a greater extent on blue and white porcelain. Dimensions: Max. height: 40 cm; Max. mouth diameter: 74 cm. Texts or inscriptions: It has an official Longqing inscription of six characters horizontally, placed along the inner mouth, made in underglaze blue indicating "大明隆庆年造" (Dàmíng lóngqìng nián zào), translated as "Made in Longqing of the Ming dynasty". Regular script inscriptions abound in this period, and not so much seal marks. On large objects such as dragon fish bowls, inscriptions placed near the mouth were preferred. Provenance: European private collection, Switzerland. Dr. Jacques Louis Crausaz (1933, Lausanne, Switzerland - 2023, Barcelona, Spain) doctor specialist in Human Body Biochemistry, Medicine (Lausanne, Switzerland), Psychiatry (Paris, France), Neurology and Biochemistry (Harward, USA) and researcher in space medicine, between 1970 - 1992, "Space Conquest Operative" for NASA (Houston, USA). Due to his research on natural medicine, he traveled to many countries around the world, including China, where he acquired many of the pieces of his collection. More information on pages 61 - 64 of the catalog. Notes: The Ming Longqing Dynasty (1567 - 1572) had a shorter duration of only six years, during which time the Jingdezhen area suffered from flooding. The government decided to open private kilns, which stimulated the development of popular kilns. Therefore, the blue and white products of the Longqing folk kilns are similar to the porcelain of the official kiln. Longqing official kilns were less and their product is remarkable. Blue and white porcelain stood out as a main product of official kilns. In the case of dragon fishbowls they follow the Jiajing style with generally larger dimensions, richer and more elegant decorations, which would be continued in the Wanli period. A very representative example is in the Palace Museum in Beijing. From the 15th century the imperial porcelain factory was established in the Jingdezhen kilns and increasingly produced more and more pieces in blue and white. In fact, those produced during the Ming dynasty have managed to stand out from other periods. Materials were carefully selected and kiln technology had been perfected. The motivation to improve technique in Jingdezhen was due, in part, to the desire to emulate and surpass the achievements of the past. Porcelain made in their kilns was famed in the royal courts of the Middle East, Mughal India and Europe as exclusive possessions. From the 16th century onwards, its export porcelain became more widely available as contact between China and the West increased. References: - National Museum of China, "Cultural Relics Collection Research Series" Porcelain Volume (Ming Dynasty), Shanghai Ancient Box Publishing House, 2007, p.163. Figure 88. - Christie's Hong Kong, auction: 16043, November 27, 2017, lot 8102 "AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MASSIVE BLUE AND WHITE DRAGON BASIN." - Christie's, April 28, 1997, lot 674. Notice to bidders