A ‘TROMPE L’OEIL’ PORCELAIN DOUBLE-GOURD VASE WITH A CICADA, BY MIDDLE KINGDOM PORCELAIN China. Thinly potted and covered entirely with a white glaze except for the foot ring, a cicada neatly painted in shades of black and yellow enamel, crawling up the lower lobe. The recessed circular base is inscribed in underglaze blue, Zhong Wangguo Jia Bo Shi (‘Contemporary art porcelain, designed by Bo Jia’).

Provenance: A private collection from Los Angeles, California.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities.

Weight: 150.6 g
Dimensions: Height 11.5 cm

The Qianlong Emperor had a unique approach to ceramic production: He favored antiquity-inspired designs, enjoyed objects that were simulations of other materials and he challenged craftsmen to create pieces that were technically pioneering and unconventional in their aesthetics. During his reign and often under his personal supervision, trompe-l’oeil ceramic simulations that were near-impossible to distinguish from the ‘real’ were produced at the Imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.

The present lot is a creation that continues this ancient tradition: Looking like a plain white Hulu, the appearing Cicada will startle anyone when the vase is quickly turned around in an unobserved moment.

Middle Kingdom Porcelain is a Studio in Jingdezhen founded by Bo Jia and Alison Alten in 1998 near the old imperial kilns, specializing in modern interpretations of classic designs and glazes. Widely acclaimed for their elegant silhouettes and innovative use of color, Middle Kingdom’s wares have been curated by many museums and boutiques across the globe, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the MOMA in San Francisco, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

當代“中王國賈泊氏”白釉蟬紋葫蘆
中國。薄胎，除圈足外，整個葫蘆都覆蓋著白釉。蟬身上黑色和黃色琺瑯，從下往上爬。底足青花款“中王國賈泊氏”。

來源：洛杉磯私人收藏
品相：狀況極好，輕微磨損和燒製缺陷

重量：150.6 克
尺寸：高11.5厘米