Lot 032 A SACRIFICIAL RED-GLAZED ‘ALMS-BOWL’ SHAPED BRUSH WASHER LATE QING DYNASTY – REPUBLIC PERIOD, XUANDE

Description

A SACRIFICIAL RED-GLAZED ‘ALMS-BOWL’ SHAPED BRUSH WASHER
LATE QING DYNASTY – REPUBLIC PERIOD, XUANDE MARK
晚清至民国 祭红釉钵式洗
《宣德年制》青花楷书寄托款
MEASUREMENTS
Diam. 11 cm, 4.3 in.
ESTIMATE
USD 300 — 500
The brush washer is sturdily potted with a deep globular body and a gently inverted rim, a form inspired by the Buddhist alms bowl (boshi). The exterior is enveloped in a rich, vitrified monochrome glaze of “sacrificial red” (jihong) tone, exhibiting the characteristic “orange-peel” texture and a deep, luminescent saturation. The glaze thins naturally and precisely at the rim to reveal the white porcelain body, creating the esteemed “lamp-wick” edge (dengcaokou). The interior and the base are applied with a crisp transparent white glaze, providing a sharp visual contrast to the opulent red exterior. The base is centered with a four-character apocryphal mark in underglaze blue regular script reading Xuande Nian Zhi.
此洗呈钵式，敛口、丰腹、平底，器型端庄圆润，具有典型的佛教钵盂遗风。外壁施祭红釉，釉质肥厚深沉，色泽均匀，釉面可见细密的**“橘皮纹”。口沿处釉层因高温熔融自然垂流，露出一圈规整的白边，宛如灯芯，即藏家所青睐的“灯草口”。内壁与底部施白釉，底心青花书“宣德年制”**四字楷书寄托款。整器比例协调，釉色入骨，展现了晚清民初对大明宣德经典单色釉器物的追慕。
Sacrificial red glaze, notoriously difficult to achieve due to its sensitivity to kiln temperature and atmosphere, reached its artistic zenith in the Xuande period. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a significant revival in replicating these early Ming masterpieces. This washer, with its classic “oxblood” tonality and “lamp-wick” rim, serves as a sophisticated scholar’s object (wenfang), embodying the serene elegance of Buddhist-inspired forms and the technical prowess of later porcelain production. The boshi shape was particularly favored for brush washers as its deep, inward-curving rim prevented water from splashing, making it a perfect fusion of utility and meditative aesthetic.
祭红釉以铜为着色剂，烧制工艺极难掌控。此钵式洗发色沉稳而不失明亮，体现了晚清至民国时期景德镇窑厂对宣德单色釉工艺的高水平复刻。**“灯草口”**的出现不仅增强了器物的视觉层次感，更是祭红釉烧制成功的标志。作为文房用具，钵式洗因其腹深敛口的构造，既实用且具有禅意。底部的“宣德”寄托款反映了这一时期文人士大夫阶层对明早期宫廷艺术的崇尚，是晚清民初文房雅玩中的精品。
PROVENANCE
• Private Collection, Montreal.
• 加拿大蒙特利尔私人珍藏。
CONDITION REPORT
• Condition: A faint hairline crack is visible on the base near the reign mark. Minor inherent kiln firing imperfections to the interior including pinpricks and spotting. Overall condition is consistent with age.
• 状况： 底部款识处见一处极轻微冲线；内膛见少量缩釉点及自然窑裂；整体品相受年代影响属正常范畴。