Page 99 - Ming Porcelain Sothebys march 2018

Fig. 1 A large cloisonné enamel jar
and cover, Xuande mark and period,
The British Museum, London © The
Trustees of the British Museum. All
rights reserved.
ྡɓ ׼܁ᅃ ზߣỻക೗๻ථᎲ७
ɽᜦ ɽߵ௹ي᎜ ࡐ౱
ɽ׼܁ᅃϋႡ‘ಛ
© The Trustees of the British Museum.
All rights reserved.

1

The present box is also extremely rare in its shape, other Xuande examples
͉ۜኜҖd͵᙮฽ӼdՉ˼܁ᅃЪԷdεЪ being cylindrical, or similarly domed but bracket-lobed in section. All these
෥ഇҖଷאڀᖙόଷdᏐաΝࣛಂဒኜᅂ forms seem to derive from lacquer rather than porcelain prototypes, where
ᚤdΝᗳ७ུ͵̙Ԉ׵͑܁ဒኜiˢ༰Շဒ similar % ower decoration was equally prevalent in the Yongle and Xuande
ଷԷdኜҖ޴ڐdˉʂһɽd૶ࢗᔚᔛdତ reigns; compare two large lacquer boxes of this form from the Qing court
π׵̏ԯ݂ࢗ௹ي৫dྡ༱׵݂ࢗ௹ي৫
collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete
ᔛ˖يޜۜΌණgʩ׼ဒኜ‘d࠰ಥd 2006
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and
ϋdྡو42ʿ57f
Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, pls 42 and 57.
܁ᅃზߣỻക೗๻ႊଷdуԴೌಛԷd͵᙮
฽ӼiԈɓԷ̈І Duchange ϗᔛdഷڀ Even unmarked Xuande cloisonné boxes are extremely rare; one example,
όdུᚂ،ᇳ७ʿ՜໢७dਯ׵࠰ಥᘽబˢ from the Duchange collection, of domed, bracket-lobed shape, decorated with
2007ϋ4˜8˚dᇜ໮520i෥ഇҖଷdུ lotus scrolls and foliate motifs, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April
ᇳ७אӫʗ७d̙ԈɓԷdਯ࠰ಥԳɻ੻ 2007, lot 520; boxes of straight cylindrical form with lotus or peony designs
2012ϋ11˜28˚dᇜ໮2130d̈ІWalterʿ were sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2130, from the
Phyllis Shorenstein ϗᔛi͵ԈɓԷdਯॲ collection of Walter and Phyllis Shorenstein; and at Christie’s New York, 19th
ߒԳɻ੻2006ϋ9˜19˚dᇜ໮94fϤ̮֠ September 2006, lot 94; one box of similar domed form as the present piece,
̙ਞϽɓԷdኜҖၾ͉ۜ޴ڐd್ᏐႡ׵ɤ
ʞ˰ߏdਯ׵ࡐ౱Գɻ੻1996ϋ12˜16˚d but probably made later in the 15th century, was sold at Christie’s London,
ᇜ໮126f 16th December 1996, lot 126.

୚ᝈ͉ۜdႊeଷהུᚂ،ڀ̓ʿ՜໢७ At ! rst glance, it may surprise that this box and its cover show di" erent % ower
ԨڢɓߧdϤᗳུجხމ੬Ԉf૶ࢗᔚᔛ and scroll borders around the sides, yet such discrepancies seem to have
ᅰ Է d ତ ᔛ ׵ ̏ ԯ ݂ ࢗ ௹ ي ৫ d ̈ ஈ Ν been far from unusual. Several such examples from the Qing court collection
ɪd2002ϋjྡو32މɓ܁ᅃଷԷd੭ಛd are found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see The Complete Collection of
ࣣʕሞʿɪɨ७ུʘਜйiྡو 33d܁ᅃଷ
Treasures, op.cit., 2002: pl. 32, a box of Xuande mark and period, where the
Էdɪ˙ུ໧ൃᖸ७dɨ˙މڀ̓७iྡو
di" erence between top and bottom is discussed in the text; pl. 33, a box
52dຬ዇ଷԷd੭ಛd७ུЍ੹ɪɨՇ௅΅
attributed to the Xuande period with grape vines on top and a % oral scroll
΢ϞʔΝiྡو53dຬ዇ଷԷdɪɨഹЍʔ
Νiྡو65d׼͋ଷԷdɪུථᚲdɨུᇳ below; pl. 52, a box of Wanli mark and period (1573-1620) with di" erently
७iྡو66dɪ๋ུఫɧʾdɨུᇳ७fɪ designed and colored % oral scrolls on the two parts; pl. 53, another Wanli box
ࠑЪԷdᒱɪɨ७ུԨڢɓߧd್዆᜗ࠬࣸ with di" erently colo red top and bottom; pl. 65, a late Ming box with cranes
୕ɓdʈᖵيࣘ͵Νd዆᜗ࣖ؈ձፓࣀͦd and clouds on top and a lotus scroll at the bottom; and pl. 66, another with
͉ۜ͵ʔԷ̮dഒڢቦܳಫϾ̙ϓf the ‘Three Friends’ on top and a lotus scroll on the bottom. In all these cases,
however, an overall impression of harmony is assured since the general style
of the di" erent patterns, their workmanship as well as the material of the two
parts match very closely, as is the case on the present piece. The chance to
! nd and match two so exceedingly well-! tting, contemporary pieces at a later
date, seems remote.