Qing Blue and white brush pot

Stan · May 09, 2019, 07:19:48

Hi Peter, here is a brush pot I just picked up at the local auction house, Im thinking late Qing but the bottom has bubble bursts so maybe it is older, Im not sure when they started doing bottoms like the one on this brush pot, the double bottom foot, I have never seen one like that on Kangxi, Please let me know what you think on age, thank you.

Stan · May 09, 2019, 07:21:46

Here are more photo's to view.

Stan · May 09, 2019, 07:23:06

Here are the last two photo's of the bottom, thanks again.

peterp · May 09, 2019, 12:30:53

Hi Stan,
The eyes may be very important in this case. I would try to check if there are are any figures on authenticated Kangxi porcelain that have eyes such as shown here.
The images are too small to show details but, multiple shades (often about five) of blue in a decoration is a typical Kangxi feature. The brush pot shape with a slight "waist" is also typical for that period, and so is the double foot rim.
Any usage signs?

Stan · May 10, 2019, 03:02:49

Hi Peter, sorry it took so long to respond, I had to dig out my macro camera to get close ups of the faces and one showing the inside of the brush pot I saw an example for sale on Christies with similar eyes, This brush pot has nice ware inside and out, here are the photo's, thanks again.

peterp · May 11, 2019, 07:55:40

Hi Stan, may take some time. I do not have much access to actual items of non-export BW Kangxi porcelain with human figures. Most show floral or bitd/animal designs. Some of the small ones often use just two dots for the eyes, but that is from the Ming dynasty. Will take some time to find some reliable source showing the eyes close-up. Those that I do know have different eyes, but there are many variations during the sixty years of the Kangxi reign. What is worrying me a bit is that the pupils are so clearly shown. So, still looking for more information on non-export porcelain.

Still not through trying to find more information on faces, but for a beginning:
kangxi faces:
en.dpm.org.cn/dyx.html?path=/tilegenerator/dest/files/image/8831/2008/0385/img0017.xml

That is from the Palace Museum in Peking. You can enlarge the eyes.

konniela · May 12, 2019, 16:17:31

There is a very good auction house (in my eyes) in belgium, you can see there all pieces from past auctions (and not ony one photo for each) in exellent quality and you can enlarge the photos. A lot of kangxi pieces too.

Have a look, if you like.

[removed by admin -- please read the guidelines regarding external links, above. Your understanding is appreciated. The Water Cooler board is more suitable for discussions regarding specific auction houses.]

peterp · May 12, 2019, 20:12:36

Stan, I have gone through some materials both online and offline. As a result I think now your brush pot is more likely from a later time copying the Kangxi features mentioned. I have found only found a few instances of Kangxi items where the pupils were prominent, but these were all on ginger jars painted in a more simple fashion.
The item in the National Palace Museum posted below shows one of the typical features of the eyes for the Kangxi reign, on blue and white wares. The ladies hairdo in the Kangxi reign is a bit dfferent. It seems eyes were painted in the Ming style with dots only, with one line per eye, or with two per eye, one for the brow the other the eye itself. Polychrome ones may differ in this respect.
If you find anything different I would be interested to know. Here we have difficulties laying our hands on authentic Kangxi BW wares with people decorations.

Stan · May 13, 2019, 03:01:35

Hi Peter and Konniela, I looks at past auctions on two of the high auction houses, I see what you mean, Peter, the eyes are a bit different, I did see some resemblance but not close enough, also the hair was not quite right for Kangxi, I would like to point out the one photo with the Pinocchio nose, I did not see anything like that, I posted a couple more photo's that might give us more clues to the origin, notice this has prick marks out lining the decoration, could it be Qianlong, that would line up with the burst bubbles on the bottom and the small prick marks making up part of the phenix bird, However I could not find anything to back that up, your thoughts are much appreciated.

peterp · May 13, 2019, 07:37:24

Just a comment to the "Pinocchio" nose. This was a normal way of depicting noses in the later Ming dynasty when people were viewed from the side.
Further, I know I have seen faces painted like those on your bush pot before, but I just cannot remember when and where.

Stan · May 13, 2019, 08:19:58

Thanks for the correct spelling for Pinocchio, that was a tough one.

Stan · May 13, 2019, 08:23:40

BTW, I for got to tell you that the unglazed foot is very smooth to the touch. I hope you can remember where you have seen faces like these, do you know if they are faking the burst bubbles on the bottom? if so maybe not as old as I thought.