Page 101 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

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Spring Dream), it is recorded “outside the Xuanwu gate on the 4 glazed monk’s cap ewers, and is a benchmark example of early Ming
of each month a market forms, called the ‘Inner Market’” where cloisonné enamel works. The ewer has been exhibited in the Shanghai
precious and rare treasures made for the inner court were exchanged Museum, Palace Museum and the Capital museum. It has a cover,
“such as Xuande bronze censers, Chenghua porcelain, Yongle handle and spout, and the neck and body is decorated with cartouches,
lacquer made in the Guoyuanchang and Jingtai enamels made in the each containing a lotus spray. The lotus is sumptuously decorated with
Imperial atelier. Their refined quality far surpassed those of previous brilliant and harmonious coloured enamels. The cloisons are fluid
dynasties and connoisseurs from everywhere purchased them with and full of movement, with bright, well-preserved gilding. To add to
high prices at the Inner Market.” From this account we can see its preciousness, it also comes with the original red-lacquered case
that Jingtai cloisonné enamels made in the Imperial atelier were as decorated with scrolling lotus. The technique was developed in the
precious as Xuande bronze censers, Chenghua porcelains and Yongle Southern Song dynasty and continued till the early Ming Yongle and
lacquers. Therefore, identifying those enamels that are truly of the Xuande periods. The red-lacquered box with sloping top excavated
Jingtai period has always been a most pressing issue. Up until now from the tomb of Zhu Tan (1370-1390) now in the Shandong
there has not been a universal understanding of what constitutes real Provincial Museum, and the red-lacquered box inscribed (Genealogy
Jingtai enamel. There are three principle theories: Mr. Yang Boda of of the Great Ming) in the Palace Museum (fig. 4) are both examples
Beijing Palace Museum is of the opinion that the vase with mark of early Ming lacquer works. This genre became extinct after the
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is a real example; Mr. Li Jiufang of Beijing Palace Museum is of the Yongle Xuande period and was replaced with polychrome lacquer, in
opinion that the parfumier decorated with butterflies and flowers which polychrome lacquer is combined with incised gilt decoration.
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is stylistically close to the Jingtai period; Ms. Chen Hsia-sheng of The red lacquer and the decoration on this case show distinctive early
Taipei Palace Museum is of the opinion that the cloisonné enamel Ming characteristics, and is likely made in the same period as the
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lotus box and cover is a real example of Jingtai period enamel. From monk’s cap ewer. The cloisonné enamel ‘lotus’ box offered at Christie’s
my own research over the years, I think Ms. Chen’s theory is the most is very closely related to the monk’s cap ewer both in terms of its
plausible, if Jingtai period enamels indeed exist. enamel colours, the decoration and the gilding. Specifically, the way
the cloisons are laid is consistent with Ms. Chen Hsia-sheng’s
The general rule of stylistic dating would place Jingtai enamels quite description of ‘hidden ends of the cloisons’. The box
close in style to that of Xuande enamels. Xuande lasted 10 years (1436- shares many similarities with the monk’s cap ewer
1449), followed by Zhengtong (1436-1449), then Jingtai (1450-1456) and is stylistically of the same period, which
at only 7 years. This means there is only a gap of 14 years between makes it a very rare example of early Ming
Xuande and Jingtai. There are very few extant examples of Xuande cloisonné enamel.
cloisonné enamel, and most of them are in the Beijing Palace Museum,
with a range of styles. Apart from these, the British Museum and the The box was included in the
Uldry Collection in Switzerland each owns a dragon jar with the exhibition jointly held by the
marks (made in the Xuande year of Great Ming) and (made by the British Arts Council and Oriental
Imperial Atelier). A cloisonné enamel monk’s cap ewer (fig. 2) with Ceramics Society in 1957. It was
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its original case (fig. 3) in the Museum of Tibet , although without published again by Sir Harry
a mark, is closely related to Xuande-marked red-glazed and white- Garner in 1962.

1 Enamel Wares of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fig. 1, p. 66,
Taipei 1999
2 Enamel Wares of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fig. 1, p. 66,
Taipei 1999
3 Yang Boda, Jingtai qiasi falang de zhenxiang (The truth of Jingtai
cloisonné enamel), Gugong bowuyuan yuankan, 1981:2
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Li JIufang, Gugong bowuyuan zhenpin quanji: 43 Jinshutai falangqi,
Hong Kong Commercial Press, 2002
5 Chen Hsiasheng, Cloisonne Enamels of Ming and Qing Dynasties,
Taipei Palace Museum, 1999
6 Yongxuan wenwu cuizhen – Ming Yongle Xuande wenwu tezhan,
Beijing Palace Museum, 2010, p. 282
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