A FINE COPPER-RED-GLAZED LANGYAO-TYPE BRUSH WASHER, QING DYNASTY
A FINE COPPER-RED-GLAZED LANGYAO-TYPE BRUSH WASHER, QING DYNASTY
China, 18th to mid-19th century. Well potted, the compressed body supported on a short foot and surmounted by a broad mouth with a gently tapered rim, covered overall in a vivid, finely streaked, deep red glaze, richly pooling at the edges and to the interior, thinning to white at the mouth and foot rims, and stopping neatly above the foot.
The recessed base left white and marked with an underglaze-blue double circle.
Provenance: From an important Dutch private collector and connoisseur of Chinese art, acquired before 1955 and thence by descent in the family. The collector assembled his collection during an extended period of residence in China, acquiring works with a discerning and scholarly eye before returning to the Netherlands in 1954. Preserved in its entirety within the same family thereafter, the collection was distinguished by its remarkable breadth and scholarly character, encompassing imperial porcelain, bronzes, furniture, silk robes, jade, books, and scrolls. No object from the collection, including the present lot, had appeared on the market prior to its dispersal in 2026.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, the rim with a single tiny chip.
Weight: 150 g
Dimensions: Diameter 10.5 cm
The use of copper-red glaze at Jingdezhen was revived by the Kangxi Emperor after a decline in usage during the late 15th century. With the effort to reproduce classic Ming jihong ('sacrificial red') porcelains, Qing copper-red pieces quickly outnumbered their Ming counterparts. Nigel Wood in Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 180, notes how the French Jesuit missionary, François Xavier d'Entrecolles (1664-1741), wrote letters giving detailed accounts of the copper-red production at Jingdezhen, the sourcing of the copper for the glaze, the recipes and the kiln location of the firing of these wares. Père d'Entrecolles was aware of the difficulties involved in the making of copper-red wares and his account confirms the high level of technical knowledge of the potters at Jingdezhen.
Langyao is a type of copper-red glaze, that was developed at the Jingdezhen imperial kilns under the supervision of Lang Tingji (1663-1715), governor of Jiangxi Province between 1705 and 1712. This glaze turns red after being fired in a reducing or oxygen-deprived atmosphere. The glaze must be of a certain thickness to turn red, so areas where it is thin can be lighter in color, ranging from pinkish hues to pale celadon and sometimes even white.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related waterpot with a similar deep red glaze, dated to the Qing dynasty, 5.6 cm diameter, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 14 December 2021, lot 50
Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper-red-glazed brush washer, China, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related copper-red glaze and the related form. Note the size (14.6 cm) and associated wood cover.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2015, lot 443
Price: USD 20,000 or approx. EUR 25,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper-red-glazed brush washer, China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and copper-red glaze, albeit of slightly paler strawberry tone. Note the larger size (22.8 cm).
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A FINE COPPER-RED-GLAZED LANGYAO-TYPE BRUSH WASHER, QING DYNASTY
China, 18th to mid-19th century. Well potted, the compressed body supported on a short foot and surmounted by a broad mouth with a gently tapered rim, covered overall in a vivid, finely streaked, deep red glaze, richly pooling at the edges and to the interior, thinning to white at the mouth and foot rims, and stopping neatly above the foot.
The recessed base left white and marked with an underglaze-blue double circle.
Provenance: From an important Dutch private collector and connoisseur of Chinese art, acquired before 1955 and thence by descent in the family. The collector assembled his collection during an extended period of residence in China, acquiring works with a discerning and scholarly eye before returning to the Netherlands in 1954. Preserved in its entirety within the same family thereafter, the collection was distinguished by its remarkable breadth and scholarly character, encompassing imperial porcelain, bronzes, furniture, silk robes, jade, books, and scrolls. No object from the collection, including the present lot, had appeared on the market prior to its dispersal in 2026.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, the rim with a single tiny chip.
Weight: 150 g
Dimensions: Diameter 10.5 cm
The use of copper-red glaze at Jingdezhen was revived by the Kangxi Emperor after a decline in usage during the late 15th century. With the effort to reproduce classic Ming jihong ('sacrificial red') porcelains, Qing copper-red pieces quickly outnumbered their Ming counterparts. Nigel Wood in Chinese Glazes, London, 1999, p. 180, notes how the French Jesuit missionary, François Xavier d'Entrecolles (1664-1741), wrote letters giving detailed accounts of the copper-red production at Jingdezhen, the sourcing of the copper for the glaze, the recipes and the kiln location of the firing of these wares. Père d'Entrecolles was aware of the difficulties involved in the making of copper-red wares and his account confirms the high level of technical knowledge of the potters at Jingdezhen.
Langyao is a type of copper-red glaze, that was developed at the Jingdezhen imperial kilns under the supervision of Lang Tingji (1663-1715), governor of Jiangxi Province between 1705 and 1712. This glaze turns red after being fired in a reducing or oxygen-deprived atmosphere. The glaze must be of a certain thickness to turn red, so areas where it is thin can be lighter in color, ranging from pinkish hues to pale celadon and sometimes even white.
Literature comparison:
Compare a related waterpot with a similar deep red glaze, dated to the Qing dynasty, 5.6 cm diameter, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 14 December 2021, lot 50
Price: USD 12,500 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper-red-glazed brush washer, China, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related copper-red glaze and the related form. Note the size (14.6 cm) and associated wood cover.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 19 March 2015, lot 443
Price: USD 20,000 or approx. EUR 25,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper-red-glazed brush washer, China, Qing dynasty, 18th-19th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and copper-red glaze, albeit of slightly paler strawberry tone. Note the larger size (22.8 cm).
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
