Page 10 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018

SALE TITLE: ALL CAPS PLEASEING: LUMINOUS DAWN OF EMPIRE
9 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 20 MARCH 2018 SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 20 MARCH 2018 M
9

MING: LUMINOUS DAWN OF EMPIRE

he first century of the Ming empire (1368-1644) was a Imperial patronage across China. The forms and incised patterns of
golden age of Chinese history, a time of considerable sta- celadon wares made at Longquan in Zhejiang province echo closely
T bility, ambitious construction and extraordinary prosperity. blue-and-white porcelains made at Jingdezhen. Similarly there exist
This sale celebrates the 650th anniversary of the founding and parallels between the designs on cloisonné enamel and carved
consolidation of this new empire by offering some of the finest cinnabar lacquer wares, suggesting that designs were copied from
objects to have survived from the most eminent Imperial reigns sample books provided by the court.
of this period: those of the Hongwu (r. 1368-1398), Yongle (r.
15th century China was a period of increased trade and diplomatic
1403-1424), Xuande (r. 1426-1435), Chenghua (r. 1465-1487)
engagement between China and the Islamic lands of Central Asia
and Hongzhi (r. 1488-1505) emperors.
and the Middle East, the in% uence of which is clearly seen in the
In many way the arts of the early Ming period can be seen as a luxury of arts of the time. The interaction stimulated a desire to
continuation of the splendid Yuan artistic vision commencing when incorporate new ‘foreign’ shapes in traditional Chinese materials,
China was uni" ed for the " rst time since the mid-10th century, and and metal and glass forms from the Middle East and Central Asia
the " nest craftsmen from every corner of the empire had been were transferred into Chinese porcelain, resulting in one of the most
assembled at the new capital Dadu (Beijing), bringing with them fascinating categories of early Ming Jingdezhen ceramics.
new techniques, shapes and themes. These potters and artisans
For much of the early Ming period, a close relationship existed
established a new visual vocabulary for courtly material which
between the Imperial court and the Buddhist monastic
in% uenced the subsequent development of Chinese art through the
communities. The Yongle emperor’s personal devotion to Tibetan
late Ming period, and which was later revived and referenced by the
Buddhism is well documented, and throughout his reign Tibetan
18th century Qing dynasty emperors. This new Imperial repertoire
Buddhism was lavishly patronized by the court resulting in the large-
of material culture of the early Ming period is largely identi" ed by an
scale production of Buddhist images and ritual objects in all media.
improvement in the quality of production standards, with signi" cant
Exchanges of sculptures between the Ming court and Tibetan
developments in the technologies of production, as well as an
dignitaries during this time were frequent, with artists from Tibet
increased conformity of Sinicized decoration and designs and the
serving the imperial workshops. The Buddhist imagery of this period
introduction of ‘foreign’ shapes and in% uence.
is characterized by the strong adoption of Himalayan iconography
Strictly controlled court-approved designs were promulgated combined with a precision and elegance of workmanship in keeping
to artisans working across the empire. The aesthetics of these with the highest Imperial standards.
new designs signi" ed a new era of re" nement, characterized by
The works gathered here celebrate the cosmopolitan re" nement
a movement away from the bold, innovative and occasionally
of the e arly Ming period by bringing together some of the rarest
jumbled designs of the Yuan dynasty towards two-dimensional
and most celebrated ceramics, metalwork and Buddhist images
representation and single-subject decoration more closely attuned
produced during this artistic awakening.
to the aesthetic of the earlier Song dynasty. These approved forms
and patterns are seen on a wide variety of works produced under