A KANGXI PORCELAIN MONOCHROME POTTERY BOTTLE FOR THE ISLAMIC MARKET
China, possibly Kangxi period, 17th century

Of elongated and sophisticated gourd shape, resting on a disc foot, the pear-shaped bulbous body with a tapering neck is decorated with knotted, flattened elements and fitted with a silver nielloed mount.
The reign of the Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722) saw significant experimentation with monochrome underglaze blue, deriving from the continued development of monochromes from previous period: the well-known sang-de-boeuf red (langyao), the pale blue (clair-de-lune), yellows, and mirror-black glazes.

Chinese porcelains were held in very high regard in the Middle East from the very beginning of the Islamic era, as they were considered luxury items. This led to the rise of high-end collecting, as well as to local imitation (such as Safavid Chinese-inspired pottery) and the production of Chinese export wares intended for the Middle Eastern market (e.g., porcelain huqqa bases for the Safavid market; see Ashmolean Museum, Acc. No. EA1978.1936). In Persia, the very word for ceramic was—and still is—chini, exemplifying the fact that porcelain was regarded as the prototype. In Safavid Persia, Chinese porcelains were housed in the chini-khana (lit. 'house of porcelain', cf. the Shah Abbas Collection in Ardabil), and in Ottoman Turkey they were similarly collected by the imperial court (cf. the extensive collection at the Topkapi Palace), which used Chinese celadon for the Sultan’s vessels, as it was believed to change colour when in contact with poisoned food.

23cm high