| Early Ming Longquan Celadon Bowl (MLQ121514) 明初期 龙泉青瓷大碗 |
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| c. 1790 – 1900 Last quarter of the 14th century (c. 1375-1400) Hongwu reign / early Ming dynasty Longquan celadon ware Diameter: 31.7 cm / 12.5 in Height: 13 cm / 5 in From the estate of a Charlotte, North Carolina collector [SOLD] A magnificent and huge early Ming Longquan celadon bowl, covered with a thick and luscious olive-green lime-alkali glaze, and incise decorated with free-flowing peony scrolls and a ‘key fret’ yunwen pattern border. Thick and jade-like, Longquan celadon glazes of the Song to early Ming period represent a high point in the development of Chinese ceramics. Potters developed this signature look sometime around the mid Southern Song dynasty, by replacing the traditional Yue-type lime glaze with a lime-alkali formula, and by reducing the calcium content (which made glazes appear transparent) and increasing that of the potassium. This particular bowl is rare for its form (fewer larger bowls have survived, as opposed to the more commonly seen chargers) and for its design, which is so distinctive that it allows this bowl to be dated to the Hongwu reign. The juxtaposition and design of the floral scrolls and key-fret border is almost identical to many blue and white / copper red Jingdezhen porcelains from the Hongwu period. |
