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Lightning never strikes the same place twice – a saying which, in reality, is incorrect. However, discovering that two quite different ceramic objects in one's collection may both have originated from the legendary Xiuneisi kiln is certainly an unusual coincidence, and perhaps brings that saying to mind.
Yet, there are specific characteristics which may help establish the origin of these two pieces, and some particularly interesting evidence can be found amongst the shards from the Xiuneisi kiln site collected by Tsuneo Yonaiyama during his time as Japanese consul in Hangzhou in the 1920s and 1930s.
I have previously written about my research into a Ge-type dish in my collection, but the other object is a foliate-shaped cup with a characteristic Xiuneisi-type light grey glaze.
What the two pieces have in common is that I purchased them from Edmund Grundner, but that is where their similarities end.
Whereas the Ge-type dish came from an old East German collection, the foliate cup was excavated in Indonesia. It was discovered upside down, with the surface of the exterior glaze eroded, exposing a pure white layer beneath, with fine crazing visible.
Edmund informed me that, having discussed the cup with other experts, there was a consensus of opinion that its unusually rare light grey interior glaze indicated that it was made at the Xiuneisi kiln.
The thick white glaze with fine cracks is covered in a very thin top clear glaze, making it appear as a greyish white shade on the interior. This is evident on the rim of the cup. The inside light grey glaze with fine white crackle has been beautifully preserved, due to the cup having been upside down in the ground for centuries.
Although the Xiuneisi attribution seemed a convincing assumption based on the exquisite interior glaze, one particular detail continued to cause me some uncertainty: the colour of the unglazed body at the base of the footring. Why was it reddish brown rather than the dark purplish-brown colour one would normally associate with Xiuneisi wares?
As Longquan kilns also produced this form of cup, I felt it was important to consider this as a possible alternative attribution. A Song dynasty vase with a grey glaze in the V&A collection is attributed to the Longquan kilns, so I began searching for further examples and comparing their characteristics.
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O139017/vase-unknown/
On very close inspection of the unglazed body of my cup, however, it became apparent that the reddish-brown colour was not simply the result of the surface having fired to that shade, but was the actual colour of the body fabric. This seemed difficult to reconcile with the light grey body you would normally expect to find on Longquan ware.
Then I happened to notice that two 'beishoku' guan vases sold by Sotheby's were described as having buff-coloured bodies, with a reference to the Tokiwayama Bunko Foundation.
This prompted me to investigate further, eventually leading me to acquire the Yonaiyama Shards publications covering the Jiaotanxia and Xiuneisi kiln samples.
And there it was! Amongst the Xiuneisi material were two shards with reddish-brown bodies, alongside examples displaying the characteristic light grey glaze.
The two shards shown in the Yonaiyama Shards III publication are m141, which the description specifies as "Underfired, reddish-brown, semi-porcelain fabric."
And m544, which the description specifies as "Underfired, reddish-brown, semi-porcelain fabric.". It also states in regards to this particular shard, "Greyish-white glaze on interior and exterior; straw-ash-like appearance; opaque; glaze applied to halfway down the exterior body;"
This was a particularly interesting discovery. What had initially appeared to be a possible inconsistency in the attribution of my cup now had an archaeological parallel in material collected from the Xiuneisi kiln site.
Although this does not, in itself, conclusively establish the origin of my cup, I believe these shards provide an important additional piece of evidence supporting a Xiuneisi attribution, rather than Longquan.
It is fascinating how a seemingly insignificant detail, which initially raised doubts about an attribution, can ultimately lead to back to the original assumptions of my cup's origin.
These two publications have been invaluable to my search for answers for both pieces.
As a side note, Mayuyama were recently selling some of the Yonaiyama Shards which had been divided in 1951 between the Tokyo National Museum and Mayuyama Ryusendo. It appeared that these particular shards were some of those which Tsuneo Yonaiyama collected at the Jiaotanxia kiln site.
I hope that you find my research into my unusual cup interesting.
Kind regards,
Jeremy
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Kangxi vases, Kangxi dishes and chargers, Kangxi ritual pieces, Kangxi scholar's objects, Qianlong famille rose, Qianlong enamels, Qianlong period paintings, Qianlong Emporer's court, Fine porcelain of the Yongzheng period. Chinese imperial art, Ming porcelain including Jiajing, Wanli, Xuande, Chenghua as well as Ming jades and bronzes.
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