MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

Details

A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ARCHER'S VASE
MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY
The squat globular section decorated with a continuous chrysanthemum scroll with leafy tendrils below a band of petals, the tall cylindrical neck with a similar band below lotus and chrysanthemum blooms divided by two short tubular handles with prunus
4 5/8 in. (11.8 cm.) high

Provenance

with Ben Janssens, London

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The archer's vase, touhu, was used for a party game and can be traced back to pre-Buddhist times. The aim was to throw the highest number of arrows into the two cylindrical 'handles', and the loser of the game was punished by having to drain a beaker of wine. Han dynasty reliefs depict this game, and porcelain vases of this form can be found during the Southern Song dynasty. Compare the very similar cloisonné vase of this form in the Uldry Collection, Rietberg Museum, Zurich, Catalogue no.17, where it is dated to the first half of the 15th Century, together with a pair of arrow vases decorated with grape vines, no.32, dated to the second half of the 15th Century.

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