CHONGZHEN to KANGXI c.1640 – 1680 Blanc de Chine Porcelain

A Rare Dehua Kiln-Waster, Blanc de Chine Porcelain, Late Ming or Early Qing, Late Chongzhen to Early c.1640-1680. This Large Kiln-Waster is a Wine Cup of Rhinoceros Horn Form but Lacking it`s Base. On One Side the Reliefs Depict a Dragon Emerging from Clouds and a Leaping Carp Beneath a Flowering Plum (Prunus) Tree. The Other Side with a Crane Flying Above a Deer with a Further Flowering Plum Tree.

SOLD

Condition
The base is missing. There are two parts of the appliqué decoration missing, the face of the dragon and part of a branch and some other minor losses. The body is crazed and is rather dark, due to miss-firing, a few small areas remain pure white. A small shallow rim chip, mostly if not all glaze c.5 x 5 mm.
Size
Diameter : 14.1 cm (5 1/2 inches). Height : 8.5 cm (3 1/3 inches).
Provenance
The PHDS Wikramaratna Collection of Oriental Ceramics and Works of Art. PHDS Wikramaratna (PH) was born in Ceylon in 1916, coming to London in 1937 where he took a First Class Honours Degree in engineering. He returned to Ceylon at the outbreak of war where he was the first Ceylonese teacher of civil engineering. After settling in the UK with his Dutch-born wife and their family, he gradually built up an extensive collection of Far-Eastern, and mainly Chinese, ceramics, although by no means limited in scope. His antiquities will appear in a later sale. Being in London allowed him to research his finds in the museum showcases, the libraries, the salerooms, and with his many expert friends and acquaintances. As a member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, he often attended meetings and occasionally loaned some of his pieces for OCS exhibitions or gave a lecture. At one time he became a potter to find out more about the techniques used - but according to his wishes, his family has kept these pots. PH had an excellent eye and a feel for the unusual, and his collection contains many pieces which at first glance may appear unexciting but are actually carefully chosen for the ceramics story they have to tell. This sale is an opportunity for both the novice collector and the more experienced. Over the years, PH gave many fine pieces to museums; they can be seen at the British Museum, Victoria and Albert, Ashmolean and Fitzwilliam. PH died in December 2010 and his collection is now coming up for sale. In 1994, Mr Wikramaratna had an inventory taken of the better pieces in the collection and some reference to it has been made in the footnotes, these items have tiny yellow and red numbered stickers.
Stock number
22940

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