Page 246 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900

tupu indicate that a number of Xuande bronzes 14
were outfitted with stands and covers in fine hard-
woods, the covers usually with white-jade knob in 1. For examples of such Arabic-inscribed sets in
the form of a chilong. In his Zhangwu zhi of 1637, cloisonne enamel, see Brinker and Lutz, Chinese
Wen Zhenheng states that 'in olden times sacral Cloisonne: The Pierre Uldry Collection, figure 340;
vessels had stands and covers. People of today Brown, Chinese Cloisonne, 165, number 77.
use wood (for the stands and covers); ebony 2. Transliteration and translation from Carswell,
(wumu) is best; zitan (Pterocarpus indicus) and huali Blue and White, 97.
(Dalbergia odorifera) woods must be avoided. 3. Carswell, Blue and White, 97
Ones in the form of a mallow flower (kuihua) or 4. Several publications discuss the question of
water caltrop blossom (linghua) are vulgar. Song Chinese bronzes with Arabic/Persian inscriptions,
jade hat ornaments and carvings of jiaoduan (a but none resolves the issue, let alone proposes a
mythical beast) and sea creatures (haishou) can be credible scheme of dating: Stephen W. Bushell,
used for the cover's knob so long as they are Chinese Art, London: Victoria and Albert Museum,
appropriately matched with the censer in size. 1924, volume 1, 57-58; Berthold Laufer, 'Chinese
Antique (pieces of carved) agate, rock crystal, and Muhammedan Bronzes,' Ars Islamica (Ann Arbor Ml),
such can also be used.' Wen Zhenheng, Zhangwu zhi, volume 1, part 2, 1934, 133-47; Jenyns and Watson,
juan 7, 198. For information on fine and rare woods Chinese Art: The Minor Arts, 91; 134-35, number 59;
traditionally used in China, see Wang Shixiang, Carswell, Blue and White, 95-97, numbers 39-40.
Classic Chinese Furniture: Ming and Early Qing See also, Sir Harry Garner, 'Blue and White of the
Dynasties, San Francisco: China Books and Period- Middle Ming Period,' Transactions of the Oriental
icals and Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company, Ceramic Society, 1951 (London), 1954, 61-72.
1986, 16-18. 5. Jenyns and Watson, Chinese Art:The Minor Arts,91.
3. I am grateful to Lan-ying Tseng for her assis- 6. A large fourteenth-century blue-and-white
tance in ascertaining the origin and meaning of plate with peacock decoration given to the Harvard
this name. University Art Museums by Richard C. Hobart in
4. Kong Yingda editor, Zhouyi zhengyi (Anno- 1961, for example, has two syllables of Persian incor-
tations to the Book of Changes), Wuqiubeizhai Yijing porated into the relief floral sprays that ornament
jicheng ben edition, Taipei: Chengwen chubanshe, its cavetto (accession number 1961.112); see The
1976, juan 2, 2 verso; Ban Gu, Hanshu (History of Arts Council of Great Britain and The Oriental
Han), Wang Xianqian buzhu ben edition, Taipei: Ceramic Society, The Ceramic Art of China, London:
Shangwuyinshuguan, Lulizhisection, diyishang, 1678. Oriental Ceramic Society, 1971, plate 98; Sherman
5. Kong Yingda, Zhouyi zhengyi, juan 11,6 recto. E. Lee and Wai-kam Ho, Chinese Art Under the
6. Kong Yingda, Zhouyi zhengyi, juan 11, 6 recto. Mongols: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), Cleveland:
7. See Mowry, Handbook, 52, number 1979.107; Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968, plate 150.
Freer Gallery of Art, The Freer Gallery of Art, vol- 7. See Fujioka and Hasebe, Min, 193, figure 49;
ume 1 China, 44, number 31; Pope and others, The The Joint Board of Directors of The National Palace
Freer Chinese Bronzes, volume 1, 611, number 121. Museum and the National Central Museum com-
8. See Loehr, Ritual Vessels, 175, number 80; Pope pilers, Blue-and-white Ware of the Ming Dynasty,
and others, The Freer Chinese Bronzes, volume 1, Hong Kong: Cafa, 1963, book 4, 44-49, numbers 1-
617, number 122. 3; Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil
9. See Sato and Hasebe, Zui To, 63, number 46; Shrine, plates 75-77; Carswell, Blue and White, 94-
235, number 50; Watson, Tang and Liao Ceramics, 95, numbers 37-38; Medley, The Chinese Potter,
152, number 132. 218-19, figures 161-62; Valenstein, A Handbook of
10. See Kelley, Chinese Gold and Silver, 77, number 44. Chinese Ceramics, 168, number 163.
11. See Hasebe, So, 71, number 62; Palace Museum, 8. See Fujioka and Hasebe, Min, 206, number 213.
Gugong bowuyuan cang ci xuanji, number 18. 9. See Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, plate 19a.
12. SeeGyllensvard, Chinese Gold, Silver, and Porce- 10. See Claudia Brown and Donald Rabiner, Clear as
lain, 107, number 111; Feng Xianming editor, Dingyao Crystal, Red as Flame: Later Chinese Glass, New
(Ding Ware), volume 9 in Zhongguo taoci (Chinese York: China Institute in America, 1990,63, number 27.
Ceramics), Shanghai: Shanghai Renmin chubanshe, 11. See Brinker and Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne: The
1983, plate 84. Pierre Uldry Collection, figure 340; Brown, Chinese
13. See National Palace Museum, Kuan Ware of Cloisonne, 165, number 77.
the Southern Sung, book 1, part 1, 82-83, plate 26. 12. See Donnelly, Blanc de Chine, plate 18d.
14. See Sydney L. Moss, The Second Bronze Age, 13. John Carswell has attributed to the sixteenth
number 66; Miranda Rothschild, Miranda Rothschild: century a porcelain censer in the Ashmolean Muse-
Chinese Works of Art and Buddhist Bronzes at um, Oxford, that boasts three Arabic inscriptions
Ormonde Gallery (exhibition brochure), London, whose wording is identical to that on the Clague
not dated (but about 1991), back cover. censer and whose ogival panels are similar. (The
catalog does not specify the type of ware, though

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