Lot Essay
The design of 'The Three Friends of Winter' in this present form is very rarely found on Xuande-marked stembowls. One similar example is included in Illustrated Catalogue of Ming Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, pl. 76. This appears to be the only other similar recorded example.
A stembowl from the T.Y Chao Private and Family Trust Collections, Part I, sold Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 39 is painted with the 'The Three Friends of Winter' to the exterior of the bowl, the stem and a central medallion within a border of lingzhi spray and with a four character nianhao within the stem.
The same motif can be found on different shaped wares of the Xuande reign. Cf a bowl in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Kodansha Series, vol. 6, no 31. The design is repeated to the interior and the nianhao is painted on the base. The author notes on p. 161 that the "use of natural elements such as trees, plants, fruits and flowers became popular during the Ming dynasty, and at no time are these better treated than in the Hsuan-te period." A similarly decorated dish in the Umezawa Kinenkan, Tokyo is illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, vol. 14, no.27.The motif is also included on a 'dice' bowl in the Percival David Collection, illustrated by A.D. Brankston, pl. 14.
A number of stembowls of the same size and shape together with the nianhao painted in the interior are recorded. Cf. an example decorated with a dragon in the Musee Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Kodansha Series, vol. 7, no.18
A stembowl from the T.Y Chao Private and Family Trust Collections, Part I, sold Hong Kong, 18 November 1986, lot 39 is painted with the 'The Three Friends of Winter' to the exterior of the bowl, the stem and a central medallion within a border of lingzhi spray and with a four character nianhao within the stem.
The same motif can be found on different shaped wares of the Xuande reign. Cf a bowl in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Kodansha Series, vol. 6, no 31. The design is repeated to the interior and the nianhao is painted on the base. The author notes on p. 161 that the "use of natural elements such as trees, plants, fruits and flowers became popular during the Ming dynasty, and at no time are these better treated than in the Hsuan-te period." A similarly decorated dish in the Umezawa Kinenkan, Tokyo is illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, vol. 14, no.27.The motif is also included on a 'dice' bowl in the Percival David Collection, illustrated by A.D. Brankston, pl. 14.
A number of stembowls of the same size and shape together with the nianhao painted in the interior are recorded. Cf. an example decorated with a dragon in the Musee Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, Kodansha Series, vol. 7, no.18