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Lot Essay
This footrest is exceptionally rare for its lengthy 35-character inscription, which may be translated as follows:
“On an auspicious day in the first month of autumn in the first year of the Chenghua reign, this footrest was commissioned by Jiechun, eleventh-generation descendant of Zhang Jinggong of the Cheng family of Dongshan, Jingdezhen, at the Jingle Studio, for the use of his wife, née He.”
The inscription is particularly significant in that it identifies not only the patron, but also the intended recipient and function of the object. It states that the footrest, was commissioned by a husband for the use of his wife, whose maiden surname, He, is also recorded. Such a personal inscription is exceedingly unusual on Ming-dynasty ceramics. The sense of intimacy conveyed by the text is further reinforced by the depiction of a pair of mandarin ducks in a lotus pond, an enduring Chinese emblem of romance and marital harmony. The present footrest may therefore be understood not merely as a functional object, but as a rare expression of a husband’s devotion to his wife.
Although inscriptions are known on some Song-dynasty ceramic pillows, dated and dedicatory inscriptions of this kind are extremely rare on Ming-dynasty examples. Inscriptions and auspicious characters appear on some Ming-dynasty ceramics, but these are generally brief, often limited to a few characters such as happiness, longevity, health, and peace, seen on Jiajing- and Wanli-period wares. Lengthier inscriptions became more common only in the later Ming period, particularly during the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, and are often drawn from Tang and Song poetry, or from poetic passages incorporated into Yuan and Ming drama. For a detailed discussion of poetic inscriptions on Ming ceramics, see Huang Hao-ting, “The Usage and Production Strategies of Inscriptions on Late Ming Jingdezhen Porcelain: A Case Study of Tang and Song Poetry,” Ming Studies, issue 45, December 2025, pp. 145–212.
Technically, the present footrest is decorated with a rich green glaze, with details highlighted in aubergine, while the inscription is incised and filled in black glaze. This palette belongs to the category known as susancai 素三彩, or “plain tricolour” glaze. The origin of susancai has traditionally been associated with the Zhengde period; however, archaeological discoveries have pushed its origins earlier. Among the earliest known example is a Chenghua mark-and-period susancai duck-form incense burner, excavated from the Ming imperial kiln site at Zhushan, Jingdezhen. The present dated Chenghua footrest therefore serves as important further evidence for the early development of susancai ceramics. Within the susancai group, the combination of a green ground with aubergine decoration is especially rare among Ming examples. In The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains and Plain Tricoloured Porcelains, p. 25, it is noted the exceptional rarity of this green and aubergine palette in Ming ceramics, citing a Wanli green-ground aubergine-decorated dragon bowl as a notable example. This color combination would only become more widely used during the Kangxi period, making the present Chenghua-dated footrest an especially important early example of the palette.
“On an auspicious day in the first month of autumn in the first year of the Chenghua reign, this footrest was commissioned by Jiechun, eleventh-generation descendant of Zhang Jinggong of the Cheng family of Dongshan, Jingdezhen, at the Jingle Studio, for the use of his wife, née He.”
The inscription is particularly significant in that it identifies not only the patron, but also the intended recipient and function of the object. It states that the footrest, was commissioned by a husband for the use of his wife, whose maiden surname, He, is also recorded. Such a personal inscription is exceedingly unusual on Ming-dynasty ceramics. The sense of intimacy conveyed by the text is further reinforced by the depiction of a pair of mandarin ducks in a lotus pond, an enduring Chinese emblem of romance and marital harmony. The present footrest may therefore be understood not merely as a functional object, but as a rare expression of a husband’s devotion to his wife.
Although inscriptions are known on some Song-dynasty ceramic pillows, dated and dedicatory inscriptions of this kind are extremely rare on Ming-dynasty examples. Inscriptions and auspicious characters appear on some Ming-dynasty ceramics, but these are generally brief, often limited to a few characters such as happiness, longevity, health, and peace, seen on Jiajing- and Wanli-period wares. Lengthier inscriptions became more common only in the later Ming period, particularly during the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, and are often drawn from Tang and Song poetry, or from poetic passages incorporated into Yuan and Ming drama. For a detailed discussion of poetic inscriptions on Ming ceramics, see Huang Hao-ting, “The Usage and Production Strategies of Inscriptions on Late Ming Jingdezhen Porcelain: A Case Study of Tang and Song Poetry,” Ming Studies, issue 45, December 2025, pp. 145–212.
Technically, the present footrest is decorated with a rich green glaze, with details highlighted in aubergine, while the inscription is incised and filled in black glaze. This palette belongs to the category known as susancai 素三彩, or “plain tricolour” glaze. The origin of susancai has traditionally been associated with the Zhengde period; however, archaeological discoveries have pushed its origins earlier. Among the earliest known example is a Chenghua mark-and-period susancai duck-form incense burner, excavated from the Ming imperial kiln site at Zhushan, Jingdezhen. The present dated Chenghua footrest therefore serves as important further evidence for the early development of susancai ceramics. Within the susancai group, the combination of a green ground with aubergine decoration is especially rare among Ming examples. In The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains and Plain Tricoloured Porcelains, p. 25, it is noted the exceptional rarity of this green and aubergine palette in Ming ceramics, citing a Wanli green-ground aubergine-decorated dragon bowl as a notable example. This color combination would only become more widely used during the Kangxi period, making the present Chenghua-dated footrest an especially important early example of the palette.