Monday, April 2, 2012

A Chinese Ru Brush-washer at Sotheby’s

Check behind the sofa cushions for spare change, because you’ll need it all to raise your bid on one of the most remarkable ceramic objects ever to come up for sale. On April 4, 2012, Sotheby’s in Hong Kong  (sale HK0367) is offering a Ru-ware brush washer in its sale entitled Ru From a Japanese Collection.

Ru (also called Ju) is the zenith of Chinese ceramic art. Made in the Northern Song dynasty in the Twelfth century, very little Ru was made to begin with, and most of the surviving pieces (fewer then 100) are in museums. So this opportunity to obtain the brush washer is really a red-letter day. The piece is so important that the entire auction consists of just this single bowl.
I have been planning to write about Ru ware for a while, but I want to revisit the Palace Museum again first, which boasts the world’s finest collection of these pieces. What makes Ru so special? First is the remarkable potting of the shapes. In the present brush washer, notice the overall perfection of form, the thinness of the body, and the elegance with which the lobes or points are formed.
The main glory of Ru ware, however, is the magnificent glaze, normally a robin’s-egg blue, with a distinctive pattern of crazing. It is difficult to photograph the beauty of the glaze, because the way the light both penetrates and is reflected back is quite dynamic. The play of color and light needs to be witnessed in person.
Close-up of the glaze and craquelure pattern.

Because the ware was so fine, the potters needed a way of supporting it in the kiln which would not damage the glaze, so the pieces rested on small spurs which left characteristic “sesame seed” marks on the bottoms of the pieces.
The back of the bowl, showing the famous sesame-seed kiln marks.

The condition report acknowledges a small amount of rim damage, which is visible in the overhead shot. Sotheby’s estimate for this lot is sixty to eighty million Hong Kong dollars, roughly eight to ten million U.S. dollars. This is a true museum piece, and one of the few times a piece of this beauty, rarity and importance is offered for sale.
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Update! The auction has ended, and this bowl including buyer's premium sold for HK$208 million, or US$27 million. I am sure that this will start droves of discussions on the state of the market, and where the money is coming from, etc., but the fact remains that pieces this rare and extraordinary will always command a lot of attention and create record-breaking prices.

All photos from www.sothebys.com
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22 comments:

  1. Jane and Lance HattattApril 2, 2012 at 9:52 AM

    Hello:
    Absolutely wonderful. And the colour of the glaze, described as robin's-egg blue, is heavenly. One rather hopes that in these worrying times of great austerity that it will be afforded by a museum with sufficient funds for the purchase so that, in time, it may be enjoyed by the many, rather than disappearing into the hands of a private collector.

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  2. ParnassusApril 2, 2012 at 10:15 AM

    Hello Jane and Lance, I join your hope that the piece can go on public display. The next time you are in London, you should check out the Percival David collection, recently reinstalled in the British Museum. It contains a few choice pieces of Ru ware, not to mention innumerable other treasures of Chinese ceramics.

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  3. for the love of a houseApril 2, 2012 at 2:10 PM

    Amazing. I trust you will share it with us after you win the bid;)
    I think the closeup of the glaze alone would be wonderful framed!

    best,
    joan

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    1. ParnassusApril 2, 2012 at 9:38 PM

      Hello Joan, It will be interesting to see where this ends up. The glaze close-up looks even better in super-high resolution, but I didn't want to overwhelm the computer.

      Delete
  4. columnistApril 2, 2012 at 8:09 PM

    I saw this in the catalogue, and was indeed staggered by the estimate. Your fascinating explanation gives some insight into why it has attracted a huge price tag. However, like all things Chinese at the moment, the prices are mad for us lesser mortals.

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    1. ParnassusApril 2, 2012 at 9:45 PM

      Hello Columnist, Considering the rarity and quality of this brush washer, I didn't think the estimate was all that high. Even 18th-century Ching copies of North Song ware can sell in the millions, and this is the original.

      I agree with you about the inflated Chinese art market--it seems that whatever I like is above my price range.

      Delete
  5. Mark D. RuffnerApril 3, 2012 at 8:47 AM

    Thank you for giving such a fine explanation of the value of this little bowl. I enjoy the subtle lotus-like design and that beautiful blue glaze. One can imagine that even cleaning a brush could become a lovely ritual, and that's what I admire about so much of Eastern art — that the everyday might become extraordinary.

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    1. ParnassusApril 3, 2012 at 9:14 AM

      Hello Mark, A brush washer like this is a natural for Chinese appreciation and connoisseurship, not only for the incredible fineness of the ceramic, but also because of the devotion to fine scholar's objects used in writing and painting.

      Delete
  6. notanymoreApril 15, 2012 at 8:01 AM

    I believe I saw examples of Ru work at the Palace Museum when I was there two years ago... Unfortunately, I am not sophisticated in art to truly know why this is so astounding.

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    1. ParnassusApril 15, 2012 at 8:38 AM

      Hello Kionon, I was lucky because when I got here I met an expert on Chinese ceramics who was able to share his enthusiasm for these pieces.

      Delete
  7. Reggie DarlingApril 16, 2012 at 8:10 PM

    This is absolutely gorgeous, and a remarkable survivor. Clearly astinishingly rare, too, given the hammer!

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  8. ParnassusApril 17, 2012 at 12:24 AM

    Hello Reggie, The key to the survival of fine Chinese wares like Ru-yao is that they were consistently appreciated over the centuries. What I found unnerving were all the recent references to 'shattering' and 'breaking' price records when it went 'under the hammer'.

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  9. AnonymousApril 24, 2012 at 6:29 AM

    The Ru Brush-washer is indeed an intriguing object. I wouldn't have known its significance and value by first sight, and would have mistaken it just as some bowl.

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    1. ParnassusApril 24, 2012 at 7:39 AM

      Hello, The closer we look at things, the more seemingly insignificant features become tremendous differences in quality. Ru ware exemplifies perfection in its simplicity.

      Delete
  10. Julie VauxJune 16, 2012 at 5:01 AM

    I found out about this auction AFTER the event seeing an ad in Arts vol42 no.2 of Asia which ONLY just reached the local library and googled for more info

    Excellent article!

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    Replies
    1. ParnassusJune 16, 2012 at 8:34 AM

      Hello JeeVee, There is an excitement and anticipation about seeing a major work come up at auctions, so it is disappointing to find out about a sale after the event. It is possible to subscribe to Sotheby's and Christie's bulletins for specific areas of interest.

      Delete
  11. BenjaminJune 22, 2012 at 9:57 AM

    No one has mentioned that the twin of this piece is permanently viewable in a public collection. The twin was donated to the British Museum in 1936 by Mr & Mrs Alfred Clark, who owned the pair. According to the June 2012 issue of Apollo (p. 86), "Mrs Clark kept this washer until the 1970s when it went to Japan."

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    1. ParnassusJune 22, 2012 at 11:24 AM

      Hello Benjamin, Thank you for this information. I had read that there was a twin to this washer, but I didn't know where it was. I wonder if there are any significant quality differences between them.

      Delete
    2. UnknownNovember 1, 2012 at 6:43 AM

      hi, the other piece is in the British museum.

      Delete
    3. ParnassusNovember 1, 2012 at 10:28 AM

      Hello "Unknown", Thanks for that information. The next time I am in England, I'll be sure to look for it.

      Delete
  12. AnonymousNovember 20, 2012 at 12:42 PM

    Can you imagine seeing this in a thrift shop, and bypassing it? This is truly a gorgeous, but very understated, piece to the untrained eye (me).

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    1. ParnassusNovember 20, 2012 at 5:58 PM

      Hello Margaret, You are right, these pieces absolutely glow with quality, in spite of their simplicity and single color. I'm not sure that any of them have been surprise discoveries--most have been treasured for centuries.

      If you like these, please keep watching; I am planning a more general piece on Ru Yao, and also on some close relatives.

      Delete

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