Lot Essay
Cloisonne wares from the early Ming period are rare as their production was strictly regulated by the Palace eunuchs under the auspices of the Yuyongjian, a sub-division of the Neifu (The Inner Treasury), responsible for supplies to the Imperial Household. The number of early Ming cloisonne vessels that have survived is limited since their production was not as extensive as those produced in the late 17th century with the establishment of the Imperial workshops.
It appears that the reign mark gilded onto the surface of the cloisonne design in this prominent format was only advocated during the Xuande period. The present box belonged to an extraordinary group of wares from the same period that are similarly marked. Other published examples include a disc (16.6 cm. diam.) formerly from the Stephen Winkworth, and Sir Percival and Lady David collections, and two shallow cylindrical boxes decorated with stylised lotus petals, all three illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne: The Pierre Uldry Collection, nos. 1, 2 and 4. The six-character mark also appears on each of the short cylindrical necks of a pair of covered 'dragon' jars: the first jar, in the British Museum, illustrated by H. Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonne Enamels, pl. 12; and the other, sold in our London Rooms, 31 May 1965, lot 138, illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz, op. cit., no. 5. Both these jars have additional horizontal four-character marks, Yuyong Jianzao, 'Made under the supervision of the Control Office for the Imperial Household'; illustrated by H. Garner, op. cit., pl. 13.
The central floral bloom enamelled on the upper surface of the present cover is rendered in a stylised form comparable to decorative elements in ceramics where this design originally found its inspiration. The serrated edges of the petals resemble peony designs on earlier Song dynasty Dingyao dishes; an example of a line drawing of a Ding dish, in the British Museum, is illustrated by J. Rawson, Chinese Ornament: The Lotus and and the Dragon, fig. 6.4a. From ceramic decoration, it is evident that both the peony and lotus motifs were used inter-changeably with a varied degree of artistic licence.
The decorative elements are typical of the early Ming period and appear on both cloisonne and ceramic vessels. Compare with the central lotus medallion enamelled on a Xuande-marked cupstand in the Palace Museum, Taibei, illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, vol. 10, no. 298. The radiating petals in the form of palmettes are very closely related to those on the medallion encircling the lotus bloom. Compare also a similar treatment of the lotus on a bowl, dated circa 1400 A.D., in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Rawson, op. cit., fig. 66, where the vine almost entirely envelops each lotus bloom. Similar motifs are also found on Xuande-marked underglaze-blue wares: a covered bowl, illustrated in the National Palace Museum, op. cit., p. 20, fig. 3; a 'dice' bowl, sold in these Rooms, 1-3 May 1994, lot 632, where the horizontal reign mark under the mouth rim is also comparable; and a bowl painted with serated floral blooms in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Q. Z. Wang, Underglaze Blue and Red, no. 56.
The minor decorative bands are also similar to those on a cloisonne bowl, dated to the Yongle/Xuande period, sold in these Rooms, 2 November 1999, lot 798. The five-petal floral scroll enamelled under the mouthrim of the bowl, on both the exterior and interior, is almost identical to the decoration on the rounded sides of the prsent box. These decorative elements are also found on a archaistic zun-form vase of the Xuande period in the Palace Museum, illustrated, op. cit., vol. 10, no. 299.
Compare also with a related box with an incised Jingtai mark and enamelled with lotus blooms, in the National Palace Museum, Taibei, included in the exhibition, Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 66, no. 1.
It appears that the reign mark gilded onto the surface of the cloisonne design in this prominent format was only advocated during the Xuande period. The present box belonged to an extraordinary group of wares from the same period that are similarly marked. Other published examples include a disc (16.6 cm. diam.) formerly from the Stephen Winkworth, and Sir Percival and Lady David collections, and two shallow cylindrical boxes decorated with stylised lotus petals, all three illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne: The Pierre Uldry Collection, nos. 1, 2 and 4. The six-character mark also appears on each of the short cylindrical necks of a pair of covered 'dragon' jars: the first jar, in the British Museum, illustrated by H. Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonne Enamels, pl. 12; and the other, sold in our London Rooms, 31 May 1965, lot 138, illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz, op. cit., no. 5. Both these jars have additional horizontal four-character marks, Yuyong Jianzao, 'Made under the supervision of the Control Office for the Imperial Household'; illustrated by H. Garner, op. cit., pl. 13.
The central floral bloom enamelled on the upper surface of the present cover is rendered in a stylised form comparable to decorative elements in ceramics where this design originally found its inspiration. The serrated edges of the petals resemble peony designs on earlier Song dynasty Dingyao dishes; an example of a line drawing of a Ding dish, in the British Museum, is illustrated by J. Rawson, Chinese Ornament: The Lotus and and the Dragon, fig. 6.4a. From ceramic decoration, it is evident that both the peony and lotus motifs were used inter-changeably with a varied degree of artistic licence.
The decorative elements are typical of the early Ming period and appear on both cloisonne and ceramic vessels. Compare with the central lotus medallion enamelled on a Xuande-marked cupstand in the Palace Museum, Taibei, illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, vol. 10, no. 298. The radiating petals in the form of palmettes are very closely related to those on the medallion encircling the lotus bloom. Compare also a similar treatment of the lotus on a bowl, dated circa 1400 A.D., in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Rawson, op. cit., fig. 66, where the vine almost entirely envelops each lotus bloom. Similar motifs are also found on Xuande-marked underglaze-blue wares: a covered bowl, illustrated in the National Palace Museum, op. cit., p. 20, fig. 3; a 'dice' bowl, sold in these Rooms, 1-3 May 1994, lot 632, where the horizontal reign mark under the mouth rim is also comparable; and a bowl painted with serated floral blooms in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Q. Z. Wang, Underglaze Blue and Red, no. 56.
The minor decorative bands are also similar to those on a cloisonne bowl, dated to the Yongle/Xuande period, sold in these Rooms, 2 November 1999, lot 798. The five-petal floral scroll enamelled under the mouthrim of the bowl, on both the exterior and interior, is almost identical to the decoration on the rounded sides of the prsent box. These decorative elements are also found on a archaistic zun-form vase of the Xuande period in the Palace Museum, illustrated, op. cit., vol. 10, no. 299.
Compare also with a related box with an incised Jingtai mark and enamelled with lotus blooms, in the National Palace Museum, Taibei, included in the exhibition, Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 66, no. 1.