Early Ming
See also : China Chinese porcelain Ancient Chinese porcelain Ancient sculpture Manuscript Textiles Animals Dragon Buddhism Religious texts
Chronology : 15th century 1400-1429 1430-1459
Chronology : 15th century 1400-1429 1430-1459
The Buddhist Legitimacy of the Yongle Emperor
2014 SOLD for HK$ 350M including premium
Hongwu had founded the Ming Dynasty by relying upon Buddhist sects. His fourth son, the Prince of Yan, was an able and competent general. Too competent indeed : the old emperor found a subterfuge for removing him from the rule of succession.
The Prince took power in a coup four years later, 1402 in our calendar. His nephew, who perished in the fire of the imperial palace after having revived the feudal war, was scholar minded and supported by the Confucians. The new emperor erased from the annals the reign of his predecessor of whom he massacred the followers, took the name Yongle meaning Perpetual Happiness and immediately began to prepare for the transfer of the capital from Nanking to Beijing.
The ambitious Yongle could not appear as a usurper : he offered to himself a Buddhist legitimacy. He invited the Karmapa, who was one of the most important sages of Tibetan Buddhism and got his power through reincarnation.
The trip of the Karmapa from Tibet to Nanking lasted four years, during which Yongle organized the Buddhist tribute to his deceased parents and prepared lavish gifts. The stories of miracles performed by the Karmapa were propagated and contributed effectively to assure the power of Yongle, now firmly established as Hongwu's heir.
On November 26 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells a wonderful silk thangka embroidered with silk and gold threads, lot 3001. This monumental piece 3.35 x 2.13 m is in perfect condition with bright colors of great beauty.
According to the concerns of Yongle, its theme is the victory over death. The central character with a bright red head is Raktayamari, the Conqueror of Death, who embraces his wife and mercilessly tramples the blue body of Yama the Lord of Death lying on the back of a buffalo. The top and bottom of the image display some deities inviting to Buddhist devotion.
This piece includes the presentation mark of Yongle. The existence of two thangkas of same quality in a monastery in Lhasa along with the fact that the thangka for sale was in Sikkim in the 1940s reinforces the assumption that it had actually accompanied the Karmapa in his return trip.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's:
The Prince took power in a coup four years later, 1402 in our calendar. His nephew, who perished in the fire of the imperial palace after having revived the feudal war, was scholar minded and supported by the Confucians. The new emperor erased from the annals the reign of his predecessor of whom he massacred the followers, took the name Yongle meaning Perpetual Happiness and immediately began to prepare for the transfer of the capital from Nanking to Beijing.
The ambitious Yongle could not appear as a usurper : he offered to himself a Buddhist legitimacy. He invited the Karmapa, who was one of the most important sages of Tibetan Buddhism and got his power through reincarnation.
The trip of the Karmapa from Tibet to Nanking lasted four years, during which Yongle organized the Buddhist tribute to his deceased parents and prepared lavish gifts. The stories of miracles performed by the Karmapa were propagated and contributed effectively to assure the power of Yongle, now firmly established as Hongwu's heir.
On November 26 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells a wonderful silk thangka embroidered with silk and gold threads, lot 3001. This monumental piece 3.35 x 2.13 m is in perfect condition with bright colors of great beauty.
According to the concerns of Yongle, its theme is the victory over death. The central character with a bright red head is Raktayamari, the Conqueror of Death, who embraces his wife and mercilessly tramples the blue body of Yama the Lord of Death lying on the back of a buffalo. The top and bottom of the image display some deities inviting to Buddhist devotion.
This piece includes the presentation mark of Yongle. The existence of two thangkas of same quality in a monastery in Lhasa along with the fact that the thangka for sale was in Sikkim in the 1940s reinforces the assumption that it had actually accompanied the Karmapa in his return trip.
I invite you to play the video shared by Christie's:
The Yongle Mark on a Buddhist Figure
2013 SOLD 236 MHK$ including premium
Yongle, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, is one of the most remarkable of all the emperors of China. A formidable autocrat and an uncompromising military, he was however a protector of all cultural trends and all religions of China.
At the beginning of his reign, 600 years ago, his sympathy for Buddhism is clearly stated. Relying on a meeting with an important Tibetan scholar, it is accompanied by the announcement of miracles.
Nothing is simple with the Yongle emperor. His personal preference went certainly to Confucianism, and such a pro-Buddhist movement could be a strategy to reduce the influence of the Yuan.
During his reign, the massive gilded bronze statues reach a perfection of form, proportions and beauty of attitudes. This peak of Chinese Buddhist art will continue into the reign of Xuande.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a statue 55 cm high with the mark of Yongle. The absence of color traces goes against the Tibetan tradition and suggests that this Buddha was designed for the use of the imperial court.
Seated on a double lotus, Shakyamuni Buddha displays an attitude of complete serenity. His eyelids are closed despite the temptation from the demons in the last events preceding his enlightenment. A hand towards the ground shows that he does not forget the realities.
Here is the link to the catalog. The estimate beyond HK$ 50M has been indicated in the press release of August 28.
POST SALE COMMENT
Buddha had all the qualities, and it is the same for this statue: beauty of carving and gilding, perfect expression, important period. It was sold for HK $ 236M including premium.
At the beginning of his reign, 600 years ago, his sympathy for Buddhism is clearly stated. Relying on a meeting with an important Tibetan scholar, it is accompanied by the announcement of miracles.
Nothing is simple with the Yongle emperor. His personal preference went certainly to Confucianism, and such a pro-Buddhist movement could be a strategy to reduce the influence of the Yuan.
During his reign, the massive gilded bronze statues reach a perfection of form, proportions and beauty of attitudes. This peak of Chinese Buddhist art will continue into the reign of Xuande.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a statue 55 cm high with the mark of Yongle. The absence of color traces goes against the Tibetan tradition and suggests that this Buddha was designed for the use of the imperial court.
Seated on a double lotus, Shakyamuni Buddha displays an attitude of complete serenity. His eyelids are closed despite the temptation from the demons in the last events preceding his enlightenment. A hand towards the ground shows that he does not forget the realities.
Here is the link to the catalog. The estimate beyond HK$ 50M has been indicated in the press release of August 28.
POST SALE COMMENT
Buddha had all the qualities, and it is the same for this statue: beauty of carving and gilding, perfect expression, important period. It was sold for HK $ 236M including premium.
Yongle - A Masculine Yongle Meiping
2011 SOLD 168 MHK$ including premium
Yongle, the third Ming emperor, reigned 600 years ago. In porcelain, the cobalt blue on a white background was already reaching a high level of perfection, and the Meiping shape was fashionable for the vases.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the Meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent. The large vase, 36 cm high, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, is more masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
It is the star lot of the second sale of the prestigious Meiyintang collection. It is estimated HK $ 80M, and illustrated at the top of the left column in the article shared by ARTINFO.
The first Meiyintang sale, on April 7, included some very beautiful pieces, but buyers were confused by the process for guarantee of payment requested by the auction house. The two top lot, the Qianlong vase with pheasants and a bowl with melon vines from Chenghua time, had to wait the post-sale for finding a buyer, at 200 and 90 MHK$ respectively.
The next sale will be a good test for this exciting market.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a glorious day for the Ming porcelain. This large size vase was sold HK$ 168M including premium.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the Meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent. The large vase, 36 cm high, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 5, is more masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
It is the star lot of the second sale of the prestigious Meiyintang collection. It is estimated HK $ 80M, and illustrated at the top of the left column in the article shared by ARTINFO.
The first Meiyintang sale, on April 7, included some very beautiful pieces, but buyers were confused by the process for guarantee of payment requested by the auction house. The two top lot, the Qianlong vase with pheasants and a bowl with melon vines from Chenghua time, had to wait the post-sale for finding a buyer, at 200 and 90 MHK$ respectively.
The next sale will be a good test for this exciting market.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a glorious day for the Ming porcelain. This large size vase was sold HK$ 168M including premium.
Yongle - Doctor Buddha
2014 SOLD 5.5 M$ including premium
Buddha is omnipotent. He plays all the roles to lead the faithful on his way. His most popular figures are Shakyamuni, reminiscent of his historical preaching, and Amitabha who invites the souls on the way to paradise. The Buddha healer of the bodies, Bhaishajyaguru, is more rare.
The gilt bronze Buddhist figures reach their supreme refinement during the reign of Yongle, the third Ming emperor, 600 years ago. The perfection of expressions and attitudes is worthy of the purity of Buddha. The thick double lotus base allows him to dominate his audience while retaining a seated pose.
On October 8, 2013, Sotheby's sold HK $ 236M including premium a serene Shakyamuni 55 cm high.
On March 20 in New York, Christie's sells a Bhaishajyaguru 28 cm high, also with the Yongle imperial mark, estimated $ 2M.
Smiling but a little stiff in his role as a teacher, this Medicine Buddha offers the myrobalan, an obsolete wording naming the dried fruit for pharmaceutical use. In one hand he carries a pot. To display his symbol, he takes with elegance a single fruit between thumb and index fingers of the other hand.
POST SALE COMMENT
This bronze deserved to be compared with the Shakyamuni sold last year but it is smaller. The result, $ 5.5 million including premium, is excellent.
The gilt bronze Buddhist figures reach their supreme refinement during the reign of Yongle, the third Ming emperor, 600 years ago. The perfection of expressions and attitudes is worthy of the purity of Buddha. The thick double lotus base allows him to dominate his audience while retaining a seated pose.
On October 8, 2013, Sotheby's sold HK $ 236M including premium a serene Shakyamuni 55 cm high.
On March 20 in New York, Christie's sells a Bhaishajyaguru 28 cm high, also with the Yongle imperial mark, estimated $ 2M.
Smiling but a little stiff in his role as a teacher, this Medicine Buddha offers the myrobalan, an obsolete wording naming the dried fruit for pharmaceutical use. In one hand he carries a pot. To display his symbol, he takes with elegance a single fruit between thumb and index fingers of the other hand.
POST SALE COMMENT
This bronze deserved to be compared with the Shakyamuni sold last year but it is smaller. The result, $ 5.5 million including premium, is excellent.
1430 Imperial Wisdom
2018 SOLD for HK$ 240M including premium
The calligraphy of the Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism is an act of piety welcomed for education and enlightenment. When the patron or the user is an emperor, the manuscript reaches a luxury unmatched in its class.
A gold ink on dark blue paper is sumptuous. A Lotus Sutra handwritten in 1345 CE for the education of a child emperor of Korea was sold for HK $ 31.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 30, 2016. The lot consisted of seven big albums.
Buddhism is essential for the consolidation of the Ming dynasty. After the death of the warrior emperor Yongle, his Buddhist advisers organize a period of peace. The very short reign of the Hongxi emperor initiates the necessary reforms. His son the Xuande emperor can satisfy his artistic talents and grant to Buddhism a preference devoid from political intents.
During the fifth year of his reign, 1430 CE, Xuande commissioned an Elder of the State named Huijin to calligraphy four great Sutras. The paper is covered with dark indigo ink mixed with goat brain. This thick, brilliant and strong layer allows the gold to stay on the surface without diffusing into the paper fibers. This biological constituent is an emulsifier similar to egg white in the tempera paint.
All the four Sutras are realized. Two are kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The third was probably early lost in a fire after being presented to a monastery founded with Xuande's sponsorship.
Two cases containing five consecutive albums each from the Sutra of transcendent wisdom or prajnaparamita have survived. In addition to the calligraphy, the work includes illustrations in thin gold lines of Buddhist, imperial and esoteric figures including Buddhas, dragons and demons. This set will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 3, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
A gold ink on dark blue paper is sumptuous. A Lotus Sutra handwritten in 1345 CE for the education of a child emperor of Korea was sold for HK $ 31.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 30, 2016. The lot consisted of seven big albums.
Buddhism is essential for the consolidation of the Ming dynasty. After the death of the warrior emperor Yongle, his Buddhist advisers organize a period of peace. The very short reign of the Hongxi emperor initiates the necessary reforms. His son the Xuande emperor can satisfy his artistic talents and grant to Buddhism a preference devoid from political intents.
During the fifth year of his reign, 1430 CE, Xuande commissioned an Elder of the State named Huijin to calligraphy four great Sutras. The paper is covered with dark indigo ink mixed with goat brain. This thick, brilliant and strong layer allows the gold to stay on the surface without diffusing into the paper fibers. This biological constituent is an emulsifier similar to egg white in the tempera paint.
All the four Sutras are realized. Two are kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The third was probably early lost in a fire after being presented to a monastery founded with Xuande's sponsorship.
Two cases containing five consecutive albums each from the Sutra of transcendent wisdom or prajnaparamita have survived. In addition to the calligraphy, the work includes illustrations in thin gold lines of Buddhist, imperial and esoteric figures including Buddhas, dragons and demons. This set will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 3, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
Xuande - The Blue Fishes
2017 SOLD for HK$ 230M including premium
When the emperor himself encouraged the development of porcelain techniques, the ingenuity of the Jingdezhen potters no longer had any limits. The reign of Xuande, the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, is one of those golden ages with spectacular progress for blue and red under glaze.
The red is still difficult to achieve and its drawing remains limited to massive silhouettes of fish or fruit. At the same time the cobalt blue is obtained in a series of tones which enable subtle contrasts. The quality of the Xuande blue and white will never be surpassed.
The sharpness of the blue drawing becomes exceptional but the iconography remains traditional. The wall of a bowl is read like a paper ink drawing being gradually unrolled. The theme of fishes moving at mid-depth amidst the aquatic weeds of a pond is well suited to such achievements.
On April 5 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells at lot 101 a bell-shaped bowl on that theme, 23 cm in diameter, with a ultimate refinement : it is lobed in ten sections down to the base which is also lobed in the extension. The goal is an unprecedented visual effect : the unfolding of the image before the eyes gives the impression of a gentle movement of the fish.
The lobes are not new in Chinese porcelain : washers or saucers lobed for imitating a flower had been a specialty of the fabulous Ru kilns at the end of the Northern Song dynasty.
A piece as deep as that lobed fish bowl is a technical feat : no other specimen of this form and visual effect has surfaced in such a large size. Two smaller bowls were identified in an ancient inventory of the Taipei Museum. Waste from an even smaller discarded piece was found in Jingdezhen.
It is difficult to estimate the price of such a rarity that reaches the extreme limits of the technologies known under the early Ming. The press release of March 8 hopes a result beyond HK $ 100M.
The red is still difficult to achieve and its drawing remains limited to massive silhouettes of fish or fruit. At the same time the cobalt blue is obtained in a series of tones which enable subtle contrasts. The quality of the Xuande blue and white will never be surpassed.
The sharpness of the blue drawing becomes exceptional but the iconography remains traditional. The wall of a bowl is read like a paper ink drawing being gradually unrolled. The theme of fishes moving at mid-depth amidst the aquatic weeds of a pond is well suited to such achievements.
On April 5 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells at lot 101 a bell-shaped bowl on that theme, 23 cm in diameter, with a ultimate refinement : it is lobed in ten sections down to the base which is also lobed in the extension. The goal is an unprecedented visual effect : the unfolding of the image before the eyes gives the impression of a gentle movement of the fish.
The lobes are not new in Chinese porcelain : washers or saucers lobed for imitating a flower had been a specialty of the fabulous Ru kilns at the end of the Northern Song dynasty.
A piece as deep as that lobed fish bowl is a technical feat : no other specimen of this form and visual effect has surfaced in such a large size. Two smaller bowls were identified in an ancient inventory of the Taipei Museum. Waste from an even smaller discarded piece was found in Jingdezhen.
It is difficult to estimate the price of such a rarity that reaches the extreme limits of the technologies known under the early Ming. The press release of March 8 hopes a result beyond HK $ 100M.
A Xuande bowl expected to fetch US$12.8mil leads #HongKong's Chinese Works of Art sales on 5 Apr #sothebysasianart https://t.co/5ILRjKHVQh pic.twitter.com/WIhR7E11Yk
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 27, 2017
Ferocious Dragons for the Xuande Emperor
2016 SOLD for HK$ 158M including premium
The mastery of porcelain in the Ming dynasty is achieved in three phases : a restart to the top quality under Yongle, an approach to touching perfection under Xuande and the masterpieces for the palace of Chenghua.
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
The use of underglaze cobalt blue on the white porcelain had reached under the Yuan a refinement which continued under Yongle. In the reign of the Xuande emperor the chemists significantly improved this technique for shading the blue. An extreme care is taken in the homogeneity of the cobalt solution and in the control of the kiln atmosphere. The sharpness of the line is also improved.
The image of the dragon, appreciated by the Yuan, becomes popular again in the Xuande porcelain, with a fierce expression. Dark blue dragons move in an environment of lighter figures. This contrast reinforces the power of the imperial symbol.
A stem bowl 15.4 cm in diameter was sold for HK $ 113M including premium by Sotheby's on April 4, 2012. The drawing of the dragons is exquisite.
Two porcelain pieces with the mark of Xuande come for sale in Hong Kong. On the theme of the dragon, both are great examples of the Xuande perfection in blue and white that will never be equaled even under Chenghua.
On May 30, Christie's sells a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 estimated HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference.
On May 31, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sells a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84 estimated in excess of HK $ 22M. I invite you to watch the video introducing this lot.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Jar at Christie's : HK$ 158M
Stem cup at Lyon and Turnbull : HK$ 41.5M
What makes this large 15th-century 'dragon' jar so rare — and so special? https://t.co/QLNIYOqVal pic.twitter.com/3fOW2SxJrB
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 16, 2016
Once used as an umbrella stand, this Ming Dynasty 'Dragon' jar sold for over $20 million pic.twitter.com/BT3lTth3vU
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 22, 2016
We are pleased announce our premiere auction in Hong Kong with @LyonandTurnbull this May! https://t.co/FmbQuA9VUB pic.twitter.com/jMLVbFnmNC
— Freeman's (@FreemansAuction) February 14, 2016
Xuande - Cobalt Blue for the Early Ming
2012 SOLD 113 MHK$ including premium
Art was flourishing in China 600 years ago, during the reigns of Yongle and his grandson Xuande, the third and the fifth emperors of the Ming Dynasty. Between them, the reign of Hongxi had only lasted one year.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
At lot 29, a Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
On April 4 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's auctions the third part of the Meiyintang collection. The first two parts in April and October 2011 already fueled our column with fabulous porcelains.
The two major pieces of this new sale demonstrate the extreme artistic quality in the use of cobalt deep blue on white Chinese porcelain. Each one is estimated HK $ 50M. They were produced, of course, in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen.
A very large Yongle charger, 60 cm in diameter, is decorated with an elegant long-tailed bird in branches loaded with lychees, bending to swallow an insect. The composition is perfectly balanced. Here is the link to the catalog.
At lot 29, a Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue.
POST SALE COMMENT
Starting with the same estimate, these two pieces had an opposite destiny. The nice Yongle bird was not sold. More in line with Chinese tradition, the Xuande dragon reached HK $ 113M including premium, doubling its lower estimate.
As ever in this sector of the art market, the buyer is the best placed to judge the quality of a lot.
Xuande - Buddhism in Jingdezhen
2017 SOLD for HK$ 51M including premium
The Hongwu and Yongle Emperors established the Ming Dynasty by overcoming many difficulties. With the Xuande Emperor, Yongle's grandson, peace and prosperity enjoyed a lasting return.
The Jingdezhen porcelain was often used under Yongle as a diplomatic gift. Xuande sees it as a source of extreme refinement for his own use and the number of pieces bearing his mark is important. The mastery of the cobalt preparations allows subtle shades of blue on white that will never be equaled.
The Xuande potters try complex shapes inspired by gold or silver models. A bell shaped bowl with ten lobes for enhancing the visual effect of a fish scene was sold for HK $ 230M including premium by Sotheby's on April 5, 2017.
The emperors govern according to the principles of Confucianism but also protect the Tibetan Buddhism of which they acknowledge the mystical vision. The use of Buddhist themes in the Jingdezhen blue and white ware is essentially limited to the Xuande period. Two high quality Buddhist porcelains bearing his imperial mark will be sold by Sotheby's on October 3 in Hong Kong.
Lot 3301 estimated HK $ 35M is a bowl 18 cm in diameter whose flared shape is very elegant. It retains its cover, which is a rarity because the pots were so equipped only if they were designed for some ritual uses. The cover copies in an exact face to face the decoration of the bowl, a circle of eight lotus flowers all of them surmounted by one of the eight symbols constituting the Buddhist bajixiang. The imperial mark under the cover is an exquisite surprise when the eunuch opens the bowl. The transparent glaze is unctuous.
Lot 101 estimated HK $ 30M is an ovoid jar 19 cm high decorated with two dragons inspired by the Indian makara type which usually ensures the protection of a temple. This illustration is highly rare in the Ming porcelain.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Bowl : SOLD for HK$ 51M
Jar : SOLD for HK$ 35.5M
The Jingdezhen porcelain was often used under Yongle as a diplomatic gift. Xuande sees it as a source of extreme refinement for his own use and the number of pieces bearing his mark is important. The mastery of the cobalt preparations allows subtle shades of blue on white that will never be equaled.
The Xuande potters try complex shapes inspired by gold or silver models. A bell shaped bowl with ten lobes for enhancing the visual effect of a fish scene was sold for HK $ 230M including premium by Sotheby's on April 5, 2017.
The emperors govern according to the principles of Confucianism but also protect the Tibetan Buddhism of which they acknowledge the mystical vision. The use of Buddhist themes in the Jingdezhen blue and white ware is essentially limited to the Xuande period. Two high quality Buddhist porcelains bearing his imperial mark will be sold by Sotheby's on October 3 in Hong Kong.
Lot 3301 estimated HK $ 35M is a bowl 18 cm in diameter whose flared shape is very elegant. It retains its cover, which is a rarity because the pots were so equipped only if they were designed for some ritual uses. The cover copies in an exact face to face the decoration of the bowl, a circle of eight lotus flowers all of them surmounted by one of the eight symbols constituting the Buddhist bajixiang. The imperial mark under the cover is an exquisite surprise when the eunuch opens the bowl. The transparent glaze is unctuous.
Lot 101 estimated HK $ 30M is an ovoid jar 19 cm high decorated with two dragons inspired by the Indian makara type which usually ensures the protection of a temple. This illustration is highly rare in the Ming porcelain.
RESULTS INCLUDING PREMIUM :
Bowl : SOLD for HK$ 51M
Jar : SOLD for HK$ 35.5M
#AuctionUpdate Xuande covered bowl painted in cobalt blue with Buddhist lotus-and-emblem design sells for HK$51.3m/US$6.6m #HongKong pic.twitter.com/co2UYHL6Rm
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 3, 2017
#AuctionUpdate Bidders propel Imperial jar depicting two Chinese dragons charging ahead on two lion’s paws to HK$35.5m / US$4.5m #HongKong pic.twitter.com/5HBKbvS9Gt
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 3, 2017
Xuande - Mastering the Red
2014 SOLD for HK$ 44M including premium
Unlike the cobalt blue that was applied to ceramics from immemorial time throughout Asia, the copper red had a difficult development. This highly expressive color tempted however the potters of Jingdezhen at the beginning of the Ming dynasty.
Under Hongwu and still under Yongle the rate of failed red pieces remains considerable. The splendid Hongwu dish sold for HK $ 41M including premium at Sotheby's on April 7, 2011 is an extraordinary exception.
The mastery of underglazed red was finally reached underXuande, who reigned 580 years ago. Far from the graphic sharpness of the Hongwu dish, the artists tested their new skills with massive silhouettes of fish or fruit.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a stemcup 9 cm high and 10 cm in diameter, lot 3001 estimated HK $ 40M. Three red fishes, one clockwise and two counter clock, adorn the outside wall and the imperial Xuande blue mark is inside.
Another almost identical specimen was sold for HK $ 15.2 million including premium by the same auction house before the renewed interest of the Chinese market for such masterpieces. It was on April 10, 2006.
Half a century before Chenghua, these Xuande stemcups anticipate the exquisite shape and tactile quality that will bring a matchless reputation to the Ming porcelains.
Under Hongwu and still under Yongle the rate of failed red pieces remains considerable. The splendid Hongwu dish sold for HK $ 41M including premium at Sotheby's on April 7, 2011 is an extraordinary exception.
The mastery of underglazed red was finally reached underXuande, who reigned 580 years ago. Far from the graphic sharpness of the Hongwu dish, the artists tested their new skills with massive silhouettes of fish or fruit.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a stemcup 9 cm high and 10 cm in diameter, lot 3001 estimated HK $ 40M. Three red fishes, one clockwise and two counter clock, adorn the outside wall and the imperial Xuande blue mark is inside.
Another almost identical specimen was sold for HK $ 15.2 million including premium by the same auction house before the renewed interest of the Chinese market for such masterpieces. It was on April 10, 2006.
Half a century before Chenghua, these Xuande stemcups anticipate the exquisite shape and tactile quality that will bring a matchless reputation to the Ming porcelains.