Page 88 - 2019 OctoberSur Quo Wei Lee Collectim Important Chinese Art Hong Kong
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A BLUE AND WHITE STAND
MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI
明萬曆 青花靈芝花鳥紋鏤空器座
《大明萬曆年製》款
of circular section, the openwork cabriole sides modelled with
five cusped flanges alternating with five ruyi-shaped heads,
all between two rings forming the top and base respectively,
the sides decorated in underglaze blue with lingzhi scrolls
and pairs of birds perched on fruiting and flowering branches,
all above a band rendered with florets against a ground of
stylised waves, the rim with beribboned bajixiang emblems
flanking a central rectangular cartouche enclosing a six-
character reign mark
24.8 cm, 9¾ in.
HK$ 120,000-150,000
US$ 15,400-19,200
A comparable stand in the Huaihaitang collection, also
decorated with bajixiang and birds perching on branches,
was included in the exhibition Enlightening Elegance. Imperial
Porcelain of the Mid to Late Ming, Art Museum, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2013, cat. no. 112. It is
suggested that this rare type of stand was related to religious
rituals and was probably used to hold altar vases (pp. 354 and
356).
