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    Sale 1264

    FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART

    New York

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    18 September 2003

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    • A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL HANDWA
    Lot 154

    A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL HANDWARMER AND RETICULATED COVER

    MING DYNASTY, SECOND HALF 16TH CENTURY

    Price realised

    USD 8,962

    Estimate

    USD 5,000 - USD 7,000

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    A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL HANDWARMER AND RETICULATED COVER
    Ming dynasty, second half 16th century
    The rounded rectangular body decorated with a frieze of lotus scroll between narrow ruyi borders, the swing handle and terminals cast in low relief with archaistic dragons, the top of the cover an openwork diaper pattern of flower roundels surrounded by ruyi heads, all above a band of foliate scroll on the sides
    6½in. (16.5cm.) long

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    Lot Essay

    No other cloisonné enamel handwarmer of Ming date appears to be published, although a Qing dynasty example with cloisonné body and reticulated gilt-copper cover in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, is illustrated in the catalogue for the exhibition, Great National Treasures of China, Taipei, 1994, p. 207, no. 49. Cloisonné versions may have been inspired by the more practical copper examples of late 16th century date. A number of these are illustrated by P. Moss, The Literati Mode, Sydney L. Moss Ltd., London, 1986, pp. 303, 306, 308 and 309, nos. 153-63. Some of these are of 17th century date or later, but all have pierced covers, some with diaper pattern openwork, and swing handles.

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