THE PORCELAIN LATE MING DYNASTY, WANLI PERIOD (1573-1620), THE MOUNTS PROBABLY ENGLISH, CIRCA 1620 AND LATER

Details

A JAMES I SILVER-MOUNTED CHINESE PORCELAIN BLUE AND WHITE EWER (KENDI)
THE PORCELAIN LATE MING DYNASTY, WANLI PERIOD (1573-1620), THE MOUNTS PROBABLY ENGLISH, CIRCA 1620 AND LATER
Of baluster form, painted with flowers, foliage, ribbons, and trellis patterns, applied with straps connecting a foot rim and upper rim die-rolled with scrolled acanthus, with long spout terminating in a lion head, the later scroll handle formed as a scaly toothed fish issuing from its mouth an S-curve terminating in a rams head, connected to a later scallop shell rim around the mouth, spuriously marked on the scallop shell
12 ½ in. (31.8 cm.) high

Provenance

With Pierre Schlumberger, Hôtel de Luzy, Paris.
Acquired from Galerie J. Kugel, Paris, 2002.

Literature

T. Schroder, Renaissance and Baroque Silver, Mounted Porcelain and Ruby Glass from the Zilkha Collection, London, 2012, cat. no. 56, 234-235.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

Vessels known as Kendi, such as the present lot, were originally intended for wine to be poured directly into the user's mouth through a short spout. The silver mounts seen here are typical of how this form was altered to fit European tastes. A similar ewer with animal head spout and stamped foliage around the foot is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc. no. M.220-1916). The more simple S-form handle seen on this example is likely how the handle on the present ewer appeared before it was later altered to include the dramatic fish-form handle and shell mouth rim.

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