A CHINESE CELADON GLAZED BRUSH WASHER, YONGLE MARK, QING DYNASTY (1644–1911)

拍品描述

A CHINESE CELADON GLAZED BRUSH WASHER, YONGLE MARK, QING DYNASTY (1644–1911) Of compressed globular form with a gently recessed mouth, the brush washer is covered overall in a soft, pale celadon glaze of even tone, pooling slightly within the recesses to accentuate the relief decoration. The exterior is finely moulded with a dense “hundred bosses” pattern—small raised circular bosses arranged in a honeycomb-like ground—imbuing the surface with a tactile richness reminiscent of archaic jade carvings and bronze prototypes. Encircling the mouth is a band of stylised ruyi-head motifs in shallow relief, forming a continuous collar that frames the opening and provides a subtle contrast to the geometric precision of the boss ground below. The interior is simply glazed, the glaze thinning toward the rim and pooling faintly at the centre, revealing the translucency and depth characteristic of well-fired celadon wares. The underside bears a Yongle mark in relief within the glazed base, a deliberate archaism reflecting the Qing dynasty’s admiration for and emulation of earlier imperial precedents. Such apocryphal marks were frequently employed to honour the revered porcelains of the Ming Yongle period (1403–1424), particularly in wares that consciously evoke classical restraint and refinement. Brush washers of this type were intended for the scholar’s desk, used to rinse calligraphy brushes, and were appreciated not only for their utility but for their meditative form, restrained palette, and subtle surface modelling. The harmonious proportions and understated glaze place this example firmly within the literati aesthetic that valued quiet elegance over ostentation. Diameter: 12.5cm Height: 7.5cm

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