Page 214 - 2020 Sept Important Chinese Art Sotheby's NYC Asia Week

9/2/2020 Important Chinese Art | Sotheby's

Impo rtant Chinese Art
New York |23 Sep 2020 | 09:00 AM EDT

Lot 644

A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'PH OENIX' EWER AND A COVER, MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD
Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 USD

A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL 'PHOENIX' EWER AND A COVER
MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD
明嘉靖 銅胎掐絲琺瑯穿花鳳紋執壺配蓋 《泉》款

rising from a flat base and hollow foot to the ovoid body set with a large ear-form handle opposite the vertically-oriented spout,
colorfully enameled with a pair of phoenixes with glorious plumage flying amidst large lotus blossoms borne on leafing vines
against a bright blue ground, a band of lotus lappets above and narrow lotus petals below, the slightly waisted neck and tapering
foot encircled by colorful flowers, the spout and handle decorated with lingzhi, the base enameled with a red quan character
(spring waters) within a white medallion, with a circular cover centered by a countersunk coiled blue chilong (2)

Height 5½ in., 14 cm

Catalogue Note
The quan or 'spring waters' mark on the base of the present lot suggests that the vessel was used for tea. Since at least the Tang
dynasty, scholars discussed and recorded the importance of pure spring waters in brewing tea. In the Chajing [The Classic of Tea],
Lu Yu (733-804), considered the 'sage of tea', ranked his preferred natural springs. The works of cultivated gentlemen of the Ming
dynasty also expound the virtues of superior spring water. Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) painted numerous paintings of scholars
enjoying tea, often by a stream, and the text Zhang Wu Zhi [Treatise on Superfluous Things] written between 1620 and 1627 by his
great-grandson Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), also dedicates a large portion of the text to the proper brewing of teas with pure
spring waters.

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