Lot 68 A rare Chinese blue and white 'Mountainous Riverscape' lime pot

A rare Chinese blue and white 'Mountainous Riverscape' lime pot

Kangxi

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€ 4.000 – € 8.000

H: H. 14 cm

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Of globular form, the vessel is surmounted by a tall, arched handle and a domed top, pierced with a small circular aperture. The body is painted in underglaze cobalt blue with a continuous landscape of mountains, trees, a pavilion and a pagoda, as well as a solitary figure in a boat. The decoration executed in a fluid combination of outline and washes. The domed top is similarly decorated, while the handle is adorned with a scattered floral motif. The base is left unglazed.
This type of vessel is generally associated with lime containers used in the preparation of betel quid, an important social and ceremonial custom across Southeast Asia. The form closely follows Vietnamese prototypes, where such lime pots, often forming part of a complete set of implements, were essential for storing slaked lime, a key ingredient in betel chewing. While the practice was known in certain coastal regions of southern China, vessels of this specific type are thought to have been produced primarily for export to Southeast Asian markets.
器呈圓鼓形，頂部隆起，置高拱形提梁，並開一小圓孔。器身以青花通景繪山水樓閣圖，山巒、林木、亭台及寶塔錯落其間，江中一人獨坐舟上。紋飾以勾勒與渲染相結合的筆法繪成，流暢自然。隆起的頂部亦繪山水，提梁則點綴折枝花卉。底部露胎。
此類器物通常被視為檳榔用石灰罐，用於盛放調製檳榔所需的熟石灰。嚼食檳榔曾是東南亞地區重要的社交與禮儀習俗，此器造型亦與越南傳統石灰罐十分相近，往往與其他檳榔用具配套使用。中國南方部分沿海地區雖亦有嚼食檳榔的習慣，但此種特定形式的器物一般認為主要為東南亞市場燒製。
Reference:
For a near-identical example, see Katharine Butler and Teresa Canepa, 'Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-century Chinese Porcelain', p. 182, no. III.2.12.
Provenance:
Vanderven Oriental Art, 's Hertogenbosch.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 1990 and accompanied by a copy of their valuation report. (see added scan)