CHINE, DYNASTIE MING, XVIEME SIECLE

Details

VASE D'ARCHER EN BRONZE ET EMAUX CLOISONNES
CHINE, DYNASTIE MING, XVIEME SIECLE
Reposant sur un petit pied évasé, la panse globulaire décorée d'une frise de pétales surmontée de rinceaux feuillagés et lotus épanouis, le long col agrémenté d'une guirlande de feuilles et de branches de magnolias, l'ensemble du décor réservé sur fond bleu nuit, les deux anses tubulaires réparties de part et d'autre du col ; restaurations
Hauteur: 13,3 cm. (5¼ in.)

Provenance

Spink & Son Ltd., London, 21 June 1985.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT payable at 19.6% (5.5% for books) will be added to the buyer’s premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Further details

A BRONZE AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL ARCHER'S VASE
CHINA, MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

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 similar archer's vase in the Uldry Collection, illustrated in H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinesisches Cloisonné - Die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Museum Rietberg, Zurich 1985, pl.17, where it is dated to the first half of the 15th century.
An almost identical arrow vase was sold in our London Rooms, 16 November 1998, lot 2.

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