A RARE YIXING FIGURE OF A TOAD, SIGNED CHEN MINGYUAN, EARLY QING DYNASTY

Published: Paul Moss, I-Hsing-Tea-Taste, Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, vol.10, no.3, September 1978, pg. 6, fig. 5.

China, mid-17^th to early 18^th century. Superbly and naturalistically modeled with meticulous attention to the toad's anatomy, depicted poised with its head held high in an alert expression. The warty lumps on its back identify it as a male of the species. Crafted from stoneware in an appealing grayish-brown tone, the base bears two seals.

With a padded silk storage box. (2)

Condition: Good condition with minor old wear and firing irregularities. The hind feet with small losses, two toes with minuscule repairs. Possibly with further small repairs to legs and toes which cannot be detected under strong blue light.

Provenance:
- Hugh M. Moss Ltd., London, 1977.
- The Gerard Hawthorn Collection of Yixing Stoneware, acquired from the above.
- Bonhams Hong Kong, 28 November 2011, lot 226, sold for HKD 350,000 or approx. EUR 62,000 (converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).
- The Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani Foundation, acquired from the above, and subsequently deaccessed.

The storage box with old labels from Bonhams Hong Kong pertaining to the 2011 sale of the present lot, and a cutout of the Bonhams Hong Kong listing of the present lot.

Hugh Moss (b. 1943) is an author, dealer, artist, lifelong collector, and enthusiast of Chinese art, and the foremost authority on Chinese snuff bottles.

Gerard Hawthorn joined Sydney L. Moss Ltd in 1963 and later became an independent art dealer, assisting the world’s leading collectors and museums in acquiring rare Chinese antiques. Additionally, he formed his own collection of Chinese art, especially Yixing stoneware, which before their sale in November 2011 was regarded as one of the world’s greatest and most distinguished collection of Yixing wares by a single owner. Gerard Hawthorn is also the author of the catalog series ‘Oriental Works of Art’, which features fine works of art from China, Japan, and Korea.

Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani (1966-2014) was a Qatari prince who served as minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage. By the turn of the 21st century, Sheikh Saoud had established an international reputation as an avid art collector, both for his own collection as well as those of several state-owned museums he oversaw in Qatar. Sheikh Saoud’s legacy as a collector is remarkable, as he laid the foundations of the major collections of Qatar Museums. In 2021, the Museum of Islamic Art hosted an exhibition in tribute to the legendary collector, titled A Falcon's Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani.

Weight: 166 g
Dimensions: Length 9.5 cm

Chen Mingyuan was active during the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng (mid-17th to early 18th century). He was a highly respected ceramic artist, and is generally regarded as one of the finest of all the Yixing potters, second only to Shi Dabin. He was also noted for his talents as a calligrapher in a style derived from the masters of the Sui and Tang dynasties. Chen was a native of Yixing, his father Chen Ziqi had been a distinguished potter who taught him the traditions of the so-called 'purple sand'. Although within his family he was Chen Yuan, he usually signed his pieces Chen Mingyuan, or used one of his several hao sobriquets. Chen is particularly known for his ingenious use of natural forms, from teapots to various models of fruits and nuts.

Literature comparison:
For a small Yixing stoneware model of a turtle by Chen Mingyuan in the Shanghai Museum, with matching 'Chen' seal, see Themes and Variations. The Zisha Pottery of Chen Mingyuan, Hong Kong, 1997, pg. 196, pl. 94. Compare a related figure of a toad on a pine log, signed by Chen Zhongmei, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 24 May 1978, lot 344.

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