Page 101 - Sothebys HK Dragon Emperor April 2024

FOR AN IMPERIAL PAINTER AND POET

REGINA KRAHL

The Xuande period (1426-1435) is considered the Ming minerals, nonmilitary supplies, falcons, exotic animals,
dynasty’s (1368-1644) golden age, and not only in respect insects, fish, plants, rocks, etc.” (Charles O. Hucker in L.
to its porcelain production. Zhu Zhanji, the later Xuande Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, eds, Dictionary of
Emperor, was the favourite grandson of the Yongle Emperor Ming Biography 1368 – 1644, New York and London, 1976,
(r. 1403-1424). He appears to have been the main reason vol. 1, p. 288). His hobbies were expensive.
why the latter chose his father, the later Hongxi Emperor (r. He was, however, not only passively engaged in the arts,
1424-1425), as heir apparent, having opted for his grandson he is admired as an accomplished man of letters himself.
as future heir to the throne already in 1411. Grandfather Many poems, calligraphies and paintings by his hand have
and grandson were thus able to establish a close link. Since survived, documented, for example, in an exhibition at the
his early teens, Zhanji accompanied the Yongle Emperor Palace Museum, Taipei, in 2012, entitled From the Brush
on many of his official activities, military expeditions, and of Xuande. Painting and Calligraphy of the Ming Emperor
inspection tours to the new capital Beijing, which was still Xuanzong. When in 1427 the emperor inscribed his painting
under construction. The affinity between the two found Two Saluki Hounds (fig. 1), now in the Harvard Art Museums,
expression even in the works of art from the two periods. Cambridge, MA, which depicts two hunting dogs in a garden,
The Yongle Emperor chose this successor well. The Xuande ‘painted for pleasure by the imperial brush’, we might
Emperor is praised by historians as a conscientious imagine a brush washer such as the present piece to have
and capable monarch aiming for good governance. He been standing nearby.
is appraised as a ruler with a genuine concern for his Of course, these pleasurable imperial activities were only
subjects, who reduced their tax burden, provided relief for additional occasions requiring the use of a brush washer, on
areas struck by natural disasters, and exerted lenience in top of the many regular writing duties any emperor had to
jurisdiction. His reign is considered a peaceful, prosperous perform in the course of his rulership. It is thus not surprising
and culturally flourishing period. Although he was active that during his reign the production of brush washers played
and successful as a military commander and enjoyed a more important role in the imperial workshops’ porcelain
outdoor sports such as hunting, he was at the same time manufacture than at other periods. In the Xuande reign,
passionately engaged in cultural pursuits. brush washers were produced in several designs, with
His patronage of the imperial porcelain workshops appears dragons only, dragon and phoenix, phoenix only, fish in a
to have exceeded by far that of the other Ming rulers active lotus pond, fruits and flowers, and with monochrome glazes,
in this respect, like the Hongwu (1368-1398), Yongle and and come in different sizes. The present type, with one
Chenghua (1465-1487) Emperors, to judge from the far main dragon and ten supporting ones on the outside, would
greater number of pieces extant from his reign in spite of its have been the most prestigious, for the emperor’s personal
short duration. For his exceptional support of the arts the use. The absolute number of any porcelain utensils other
Xuande Emperor was celebrated, but also reviled. After his than cups, bowls, plates and similar food vessels preserved
death, the Empress Dowager quickly tried to put a halt to from the Xuande reign – and certainly the number of brush
his expensive search for and support of art works and other washers – is nevertheless very small.
luxuries, “recalling all the eunuchs and orderlies he had sent The Yongle Emperor had recruited the country’s foremost
out throughout the empire to search for, or, in certain areas, manufactories of arts and crafts as imperial workshops
to take charge of manufactures, silk goods, embroideries, and pushed excellence in several fields to new heights.
paper, bronze, hardwood furniture, porcelain, precious

fig. 1. Zhu Zhanji (Emperor Xuanzong/The Xuande Emperor), Two Saluki Hounds,
Ming dynasty, Xuande period, dated to 1427, album leaf, ink and light colours on paper,
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Charles A. Coolidge, Photo ©
President and Fellows of Harvard College, accession no. 1931.20
圖一 明宣德二年（1427年） 宣宗御筆《萱花雙犬圖》冊頁
「宣德丁未御筆戲寫」字 紙本水墨設色 哈佛藝術博物館 / 賽克勒博物館 Charles A.
Coolidge 惠贈 藏品編號1931.20
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