Asian Works of Art

The open peach-form coupe and conjoined pomegranate of yellow clay with russet mottling to the exteriors, with applied chestnut, water chestnut, eggplant, mushroom, peanut, and melon seed realistically modeled in variously colored clays, the interior with a peach pit; the exterior incised 'Chen Mingyuan Zuo' and with one impressed seal "Mingyuan"; together with a later finely-carved hardwood openwork stand, modeled in the form of a lotus root, buds, blossoms, pods, leaves, and a caltrop; later paper labels to both, inscribed 'NL-8'.

Note:
The Yixing ceramic artist Chen Minyuan (Late 17th to early 18th century) was renowned for his trompe l’oeil scholar’s objects, incorporating realistically modeled and colored fruits, nuts, and vegetables in creative compositions, with exquisite attention to detail. His manipulation of the Yixing clays, ranging from deep purple-brown and russet, to beige and pale yellow, accentuates the verisimilitude of the modeling, delighting those who admire his technique and style.

Chen’s works were so avidly collected in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s that contemporary masters created exceedingly fine replicas which rival Chen's work and are now greatly sought after. This 'Peach and Pomegranate' water coupe, was known to have been in the renowned collection of Yixing wares assembled by Shanghai connoisseur Pang Yuanji (1864-1947). Pang, together with the artist Lu Hui (1851-1920), compiled a very rare two-volume set of rubbings and descriptions of Yixing teapots and scholar’s objects in Pang’s collection, probably during the period between 1910-1920. For some time, the only known copy of this compendium was to be found in the library of the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Also home to 19 pieces from Pang's collection). Rubbings and detailed descriptions of the present coupe are included in the second volume.

This coupe is a tour de force of modeling, utilizing the wide array of colored Yixing clays to realistically depict the nine varied fruits, nuts, and vegetables in the composition. The later carved hardwood stand is also extremely finely executed, indicating the esteem in which this rare piece has been held.

Compare this coupe to the 'Double Pomegranate' coupe sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, October 4, 2011, lot 2019. Compare also the Peach coupe from the collection of Eileen and I.M. Pei, sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, November 27, 2019, lot 2825, where it is dated as possibly Republic period. Compare also the peach coup, attributed to Chen Mingyuan, possibly made by 20th-century master Pei Shimin, in the collection of the Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, illustrated by Lai Suk Yee and Terese Tse Bartholomew in The Bei Shan Tang Legacy, Yixing Zisha Stoneware, 2015, p. 368-369, no. 144.

注：
此杯与本场Lot 47 梅花杯，系台湾李氏流出的庞元济旧藏砂器。二十年前，专营文房的纽约古董行E&J Frankel出版了一本图录《李氏家族藏宜兴紫砂》。29件砂器名头赫赫：陈信卿、盛冠五、惠孟臣、杨彭年、陈和之、陈鸣远、陈曼生...清一色素漆木锦盒挖格，一望即知民国沪造花色。当时古代艺术品市场蓬勃，人人关注，很快被发现是庞元济虚斋旧藏，收录于其私家出版的《虚斋名陶图录》之中，全形拓墨影留形。

庞元济是庞虚斋也是庞莱臣，张葱玉吴湖帆王几千等一代人的收藏祖师爷，晚年旅居沪上的他，即使富有如南浔四象，万贯家财也难受战乱消磨。他的藏画从民初开始通过姻亲张静江麾下的通运公司、以及后来从通运独立出来的卢芹斋、姚叔来、戴润斋，堂弟庞元浩，外甥张葱玉，以及与张葱玉关系莫深的谭敬大量流向海外，二十卷《虚斋名画录》，散落寰宇如星。

他的紫砂，相当一部分通过国民党李姓空军上校流入北美，过程相当离奇。李氏祖籍山东，抵触传统大家庭桎梏，光绪末年逃到上海学习机械工程，是民国初年少数几位能将日本铁轨改造成欧陆火车适用的工程师。北伐之后加入党国做军械师，上校衔。三十年代李上校被派到美国协助蒋宋买飞机，意外负伤，滞留德州，回国后加入飞虎队，抗战中派驻山东。一次缴获日军仓库，在物资中发现大批古玩，这批紫砂就在其中。后来国军撤退大陆，珍宝空运南迁，存在台北故宫库房。

李上校对于台湾初期的空军建设功不可没，当时战斗机短缺，他建议军方从美国购买大型巴士引擎，改装到飞机上共空军使用，这项技术是他在德州养伤时摸索到的。退役后，他从台北故宫提出寄存的珍宝，晚景自娱。所有藏品之中，这套紫砂是他最喜欢的。七十年代，紫砂收藏巨擘罗桂祥（维他奶创办人）到台北故宫讲座，李上校上前攀谈，授以所藏，罗愿全盘接手，李甚自得，但无意割爱。他这样宝贝这批宝贝，去世前特意留给美国的孙儿，到头来还是流到古董商手中，又通过拍卖行流向二级市场。

第一件浮出水面的是2007年12月2日保利秋拍“省吾庐”专场，Lot 1623陈曼生石铫壶，估价￥100-150万，￥80.64万成交。

紧接着，2010年6月5日保利五周年春拍，Lot 5008陈鸣远三足圆壶，估价￥300-500万，￥246.4万成交。

2010年12月1日佳士得香港，Lot 3096楊彭年扁壶，估价港币25-30万，158万成交。

2011年6月7日保利春拍“茶熟香温”专场，Lot 8985陈和之锦囊壶，估价￥260-360万，￥322万成交。此壶此后短时间内两度上拍，成交价屡创新低：2012年6月24日北京荣宝春拍，Lot 1519，估价￥150-200万，￥291.2万成交。2013年11月20日嘉德秋拍，Lot 5982，估价80-120万，￥92万成交。

2011年11月12日嘉德秋拍，Lot 2842 杨彭年制桑连理馆扁石壶，估价￥150-180万，195.5万成交。2017年12月8日嘉德再次上拍，估价￥100-120万，￥287.5万成交。

2015年9月15日苏富比纽约，Lot 222陈信卿桶身束腰段泥壶，估价$1.5-2.5万， $7.5万成交，同场Lot 223盛冠五周盘壶，估价$2-3万，$6万成交。

2021年1月16日西泠秋拍，Lot 4081瞿子冶拟南田笔意诗画汲直壶，估价￥330-380万，￥402.5万成交。

2023年3月16日西泠秋拍，Lot 2612陈鸣远制紫泥苍髯腴叟松杯，估价￥280-350万，￥345万成交。