Extremely rare and exceptional pair of imperial brush pots i - Lot 161

Extremely rare and exceptional pair of imperial brush pots in blue-white porcelain known as "Bleu de Hué". Of arched form with flared rim, the body with rich cobalt-blue decoration of two phoenixes (personification of the Empress) flying over a garden embellished with gōngshí, orchids, and chrysanthemums. The main motif bordered by weeping willows and bamboo emerging from rocks. Four-character mark in white relief below the base "Nội phủ thị đoài" 內府侍克 or "Inner Palace, Western Enclosure" so-called secret mark made in paste on paste. This type of mark is extremely rare and was only used for porcelain destined for Đặng Thị Huệ. Presence of an incised two-character inscription under the base of one 兌閣 "đoái các" possibly an indication of use in a room in the West or a so-called collector's mark. China for Vietnam, imperial kilns, second half of the 18th century. Height: 16.5 cm. Diameter: 22 cm. (One in perfect condition, the second with two very slight cracks and a tiny chip at the edge). Provenance: Private collection, former collection of the Maison DENIS-FRERES. For a similar-shaped piece from the same period, of which only two other examples exist, see the one in the Musée Royal de Mariemont under inventory number AC 96/180. Another vase of the same shape is preserved in the Musée des Antiquités Royales de Hué under inventory number BTH 1474.GM01-4173. The pair of brush pots we present produced for Đặng Thị Huệ, concubine of Lord Trịnh Sâm (1767-1782) is novel in two respects: While these imperial porcelains were generally produced in pairs, no other pair of brush pots of this type has survived or is currently known. Only two single vases of similar shape are known to exist. The decoration on this pair is unknown, but stylistically very similar to the porcelains intended for Đặng Thị Huệ. The iconography of weeping willows, bamboo, rocks and phoenixes was indeed reputed to be the concubine's favorite. Extremely rare, the pieces produced for the principal wife were among the most luxurious Hué blues ever made. Manufactured in the official imperial kilns, the porcelain used was made from the noblest clay, and the deep shades of cobalt blue in the decoration bear witness not only to particularly meticulous workmanship, undoubtedly conceived by the greatest masters, but also to the expensive use of the most precious materials. Their state of preservation is also exceptional, one being in perfect condition - almost unique for a Hué blue from this period. Đặng Thị Huệ was the favorite of Lord Trịnh Sâm (1767-1782). She is notably known for having exercised the regency for almost a month in 1782. She died in 1784 following violent internal struggles that led to her suicide. Nevertheless, she was one of the most influential women of her time, elevated by Trinh Sâm to the rank of "Tuyên phi", the period's highest distinction for a wife. The presence of these vases in the former Maison Denis-Frères collection bears witness to the diplomatic relations that existed between the Imperial Court of Annam and this firm, which was one of the most important in Asia. The archives do not mention the donation of these vases. However, the practice of offering pieces from the palace to important officials is well known, with several documents attesting to orders emanating directly from the Emperor to remove "vases" and other "betel boxes" from imperial collections as gifts.