Years 1400-1429
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : China Early Ming Buddhism Ming porcelain Chinese dragon Ancient sculpture Islam Persia Manuscript Religious texts Textiles
See also : China Early Ming Buddhism Ming porcelain Chinese dragon Ancient sculpture Islam Persia Manuscript Religious texts Textiles
Buddhism with YONGLE
1
Thangka
2014 SOLD for HK$ 350M by Christie's
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, 2014, Christie's sold for HK $ 350M 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.
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, 2014, Christie's sold for HK $ 350M 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.
2
Gilt Bronze of Shakyamuni Buddha
2013 SOLD for HK$ 236M by Sotheby's
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.
The gilt bronze Buddhist figures reach their supreme refinement during the reign of Yongle. 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.
The massive statues reach a perfection of casting, form, proportions and aesthetic grace. They are more frequent in the Yongle reign due to his policy of imperial export and presentation of Buddhist sculptures to Tibet which was discontinued by the Xuande emperor. They are very rare in large size.
On October 8, 2013, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 236M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M a statue 55 cm high with the mark of Yongle, lot 3075. 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.
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.
On March 20, 2014, Christie's sold for $ 5.5M a Bhaishajyaguru 28 cm high with the Yongle imperial mark. 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.
A 57 cm high figure of Amitayus with the Xuande mark was sold for HK $ 70M by Christie's on May 31, 2010, lot 1961. Amitayus is the Buddha of infinite life. The serene deity is seated on a lotus base. The legs are crossed. The hands are joined over the lap with raised thumbs as a sign of meditation, the rounded face with eyes downcast is benevolent. His majesty is represented by the eight leaf crown and the abundant jewel chains radiating on the bare torso. Exquisite details include the hair swept back in a topknot.
This period of magnificent Buddhist art terminates in 1436 CE when overpopulating monks are expelled from the capital by a new emperor.
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.
The gilt bronze Buddhist figures reach their supreme refinement during the reign of Yongle. 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.
The massive statues reach a perfection of casting, form, proportions and aesthetic grace. They are more frequent in the Yongle reign due to his policy of imperial export and presentation of Buddhist sculptures to Tibet which was discontinued by the Xuande emperor. They are very rare in large size.
On October 8, 2013, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 236M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M a statue 55 cm high with the mark of Yongle, lot 3075. 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.
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.
On March 20, 2014, Christie's sold for $ 5.5M a Bhaishajyaguru 28 cm high with the Yongle imperial mark. 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.
A 57 cm high figure of Amitayus with the Xuande mark was sold for HK $ 70M by Christie's on May 31, 2010, lot 1961. Amitayus is the Buddha of infinite life. The serene deity is seated on a lotus base. The legs are crossed. The hands are joined over the lap with raised thumbs as a sign of meditation, the rounded face with eyes downcast is benevolent. His majesty is represented by the eight leaf crown and the abundant jewel chains radiating on the bare torso. Exquisite details include the hair swept back in a topknot.
This period of magnificent Buddhist art terminates in 1436 CE when overpopulating monks are expelled from the capital by a new emperor.
Blue and White with YONGLE
Intro
The blue and white had been developed in the kilns of Jingdezhen under the Yuan dynasty. The Yongle emperor of the Ming makes the porcelain of that locality an official art strictly controlled by the court.
Through this action the ambitious Yongle pursues a political goal. Yuan porcelains had been admired throughout Asia for their beauty and healthiness. Yongle makes them a flagship of China's unsurpassable art and uses them widely as diplomatic gifts. The pieces that failed in production are scrapped to avoid imitations. Only the best of the best is released.
Since the Song dynasty the porcelain competes with jade in terms of exquisiteness. The blue decorations of the Yuan porcelain display a wide variety of themes. The diplomatic ambition of the Ming adds new stylized or naturalist themes often to the taste of the Middle East.
Through this action the ambitious Yongle pursues a political goal. Yuan porcelains had been admired throughout Asia for their beauty and healthiness. Yongle makes them a flagship of China's unsurpassable art and uses them widely as diplomatic gifts. The pieces that failed in production are scrapped to avoid imitations. Only the best of the best is released.
Since the Song dynasty the porcelain competes with jade in terms of exquisiteness. The blue decorations of the Yuan porcelain display a wide variety of themes. The diplomatic ambition of the Ming adds new stylized or naturalist themes often to the taste of the Middle East.
1
Meiping
2011 SOLD for HK$ 170M by Sotheby's
The mastering of cobalt under glaze on white ceramics was achieved in the Yuan Dynasty, with intense or subtle shades of blue and a very accurate drawing on a rich variety of themes. The Yongle emperor of the Ming was clever to place the Jingdezhen kilns under direct imperial control despite a large geographical distance.
Yongle was the irreconcilable enemy of the Yuan and the Mongols, whom he circumvented by a communication effort toward all other foreigners. He used the outstanding productions from Jingdezhen for diplomatic gifts.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent.
On October 5, 2011, Sotheby's sold a meiping for HK $ 170M from a lower estimate of HK $ 80M, lot 11 in the second sale of the Meiyintang collection. This 36 cm high example is especially masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
Yongle was the irreconcilable enemy of the Yuan and the Mongols, whom he circumvented by a communication effort toward all other foreigners. He used the outstanding productions from Jingdezhen for diplomatic gifts.
Porcelain is an art that invites the touch, and the curves of the meiping with their bulging under the collar have a sensual intent.
On October 5, 2011, Sotheby's sold a meiping for HK $ 170M from a lower estimate of HK $ 80M, lot 11 in the second sale of the Meiyintang collection. This 36 cm high example is especially masculine in its massive form. Its fine decoration is classic : branches bearing fruit.
2
Moon Flask
2016 SOLD for HK$ 110M by Sotheby's
Yongle, the third Ming emperor, was the most powerful monarch of his time. Ruthless enemy of the Mongols, he had a more open and tolerant vision of the rest of the world and successfully promoted the voyages of discovery.
At that time, the blue and white dominates the Chinese porcelain but touch is as important as visual beauty. A gourd also named moon flask is a technical feat by its complex shape. Its body in a more or less bulging oval section is pleasing to hold in hands for pouring. The recipient is circular, with two winding handles around the bulbous neck. The belly is more or less rounded depending on the variants.
The main known role of their new shape and new decoration was to create pieces able to demonstrate the Chinese know-how to the Muslim rulers of the Middle East. The moon flasks were thus used for presentation during diplomatic and commercial exchanges.
An example is indeed shaped from a Middle Eastern metal model with a decoration of Islamic origin. Its flattened spherical body is set with two circular bosses at the sides, rising to a garlic neck flanked by the pair of handles. Both faces are painted in deep cobalt blue with hexagonal and other polygonal facets sheltering lotus flower heads, the central one with a foliated bloom being a six branch star.
This flask is not marked, as usual for the Yongle porcelains, but has been prepared in Jingdezhen probably for the use of the Chinese imperial court. It was sold for HK $ 110M from a lower estimate of HK $ 25M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2016, lot 17.
These shapes will be continued under Xuande, with some small changes especially concerning the shape of the base. The Qing, keen of the synthesis of all Chinese art, will make replicas.
At that time, the blue and white dominates the Chinese porcelain but touch is as important as visual beauty. A gourd also named moon flask is a technical feat by its complex shape. Its body in a more or less bulging oval section is pleasing to hold in hands for pouring. The recipient is circular, with two winding handles around the bulbous neck. The belly is more or less rounded depending on the variants.
The main known role of their new shape and new decoration was to create pieces able to demonstrate the Chinese know-how to the Muslim rulers of the Middle East. The moon flasks were thus used for presentation during diplomatic and commercial exchanges.
An example is indeed shaped from a Middle Eastern metal model with a decoration of Islamic origin. Its flattened spherical body is set with two circular bosses at the sides, rising to a garlic neck flanked by the pair of handles. Both faces are painted in deep cobalt blue with hexagonal and other polygonal facets sheltering lotus flower heads, the central one with a foliated bloom being a six branch star.
This flask is not marked, as usual for the Yongle porcelains, but has been prepared in Jingdezhen probably for the use of the Chinese imperial court. It was sold for HK $ 110M from a lower estimate of HK $ 25M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2016, lot 17.
These shapes will be continued under Xuande, with some small changes especially concerning the shape of the base. The Qing, keen of the synthesis of all Chinese art, will make replicas.
3
Floral Moon Flask
2023 SOLD for HK$ 86M by Sotheby's
A highly rare Yongle moon flask with a shape and decoration inspired by Middle East was sold for HK $ 110M by Sotheby's in 2016.
An example of same shape and inspiration, 28.6 cm high, had been discovered in England in 1986. On each face the floral decoration in blue and white is made in a centered circle of seven stylized bloom heads surrounded by a dense pattern of leaf scrolls in arabesques, without the geometrical panels of the other example. A pendant is kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The imaginative design that does not represent natural vegetals is typical of Islamic art, in the opposite of traditional Chinese art. A similarity with Persian tiles has been observed.
This flask was sold for HK $ 86M by Sotheby's on October 9, 2023, lot 301. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A very similar replica from the Yongzheng period is also kept at the Palace Museum. The stylized plants are here superseded by lotus blooms, pods and leaves. The Qing potters had indeed corrected that supposed mistake against Chinese taste made by their Ming predecessors.
An example of same shape and inspiration, 28.6 cm high, had been discovered in England in 1986. On each face the floral decoration in blue and white is made in a centered circle of seven stylized bloom heads surrounded by a dense pattern of leaf scrolls in arabesques, without the geometrical panels of the other example. A pendant is kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The imaginative design that does not represent natural vegetals is typical of Islamic art, in the opposite of traditional Chinese art. A similarity with Persian tiles has been observed.
This flask was sold for HK $ 86M by Sotheby's on October 9, 2023, lot 301. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A very similar replica from the Yongzheng period is also kept at the Palace Museum. The stylized plants are here superseded by lotus blooms, pods and leaves. The Qing potters had indeed corrected that supposed mistake against Chinese taste made by their Ming predecessors.
4
Ewer
2023 SOLD for HK$ 107M by Sotheby's
The pear shaped ewer is arguably the most exquisite vessel in the Yongle period when its spout, rim and handle are in straight upper alignment.
A 22.5 cm high ewer was sold for HK $ 107M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 101. Its cobalt blue is rich and its glaze is pristine. The cover is missing but its chain attachment eyelet is present on the handle. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This piece is painted on both sides in a double lined peach shaped cartouche with an undulating powerful dragon. They are portrayed in direct mirror image, both looking up towards the wine or tea pouring from the spout.
It does not have an imperial mark, as usual for most of the porcelains from that reign. It was nevertheless made for imperial use as evidenced by the five claws per paw of the dragon, a symbol of the emperor. Dragon vessels made for diplomatic presentation feature three claws per paw.
The same image of the dragon was also used to decorate bowl bottoms and outside walls, stem cups, washers and probably chargers and jars. It became highly popular from the Xuande period onwards.
Jingdezhen potters used to discard the pieces that were not perfect enough for the emperor. A nearly complete broken ewer nearly identical in form and painting style as the example above has been excavated from a Yongle kiln strata in that manufacturing site.
A mausoleum ewer in pure gold in the same shape and size is dated from the unique year of Yongle's successor Hongxi.
A 22.5 cm high ewer was sold for HK $ 107M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 101. Its cobalt blue is rich and its glaze is pristine. The cover is missing but its chain attachment eyelet is present on the handle. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This piece is painted on both sides in a double lined peach shaped cartouche with an undulating powerful dragon. They are portrayed in direct mirror image, both looking up towards the wine or tea pouring from the spout.
It does not have an imperial mark, as usual for most of the porcelains from that reign. It was nevertheless made for imperial use as evidenced by the five claws per paw of the dragon, a symbol of the emperor. Dragon vessels made for diplomatic presentation feature three claws per paw.
The same image of the dragon was also used to decorate bowl bottoms and outside walls, stem cups, washers and probably chargers and jars. It became highly popular from the Xuande period onwards.
Jingdezhen potters used to discard the pieces that were not perfect enough for the emperor. A nearly complete broken ewer nearly identical in form and painting style as the example above has been excavated from a Yongle kiln strata in that manufacturing site.
A mausoleum ewer in pure gold in the same shape and size is dated from the unique year of Yongle's successor Hongxi.
5
Holy Water Vessel
2016 SOLD for HK$ 100M by Sotheby's
A type of ewer from the Yongle period is known in three pieces, all of them in blue and white. Its shape is highly unusual, with its body set in its lower part with a raising spout, very long, tapered and facetted, ending in a lipped rim, without a handle.
This vessel is beautifully pouring in a thin and elegant stream, certainly not for palace use but for a ceremonial use. The Yongle emperor was a devout Buddhist. Such a holy water vessel was admired by the Qianlong emperor who commented it with a Buddhist phrase.
Specialists are considering that monochrome white porcelains would have been preferred for Buddhist rituals. Indeed a fragmentary piece has been reconstituted from sherds in the Yongle kiln stratum at Jingdezhen.
One of the three examples was sold for HK $ 100M from a lower estimate of HK $ 35M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2016, lot 15. The cobalt decoration of the pear shaped body is made of hibiscus bloom heads amidst arabesques of leaves. The spout and the unusual stepped foot are painted with stylized lotuses.
This vessel is beautifully pouring in a thin and elegant stream, certainly not for palace use but for a ceremonial use. The Yongle emperor was a devout Buddhist. Such a holy water vessel was admired by the Qianlong emperor who commented it with a Buddhist phrase.
Specialists are considering that monochrome white porcelains would have been preferred for Buddhist rituals. Indeed a fragmentary piece has been reconstituted from sherds in the Yongle kiln stratum at Jingdezhen.
One of the three examples was sold for HK $ 100M from a lower estimate of HK $ 35M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2016, lot 15. The cobalt decoration of the pear shaped body is made of hibiscus bloom heads amidst arabesques of leaves. The spout and the unusual stepped foot are painted with stylized lotuses.
> 1417 Persian Manuscript on Chinese Paper
2020 SOLD for £ 7M by Christie's
The ambition of Timur (Tamerlane) had been to become the Khan of the Mongols and the Caliph of the Muslims. He could not obtain these titles for traditional reasons but he was the most effective conqueror and was never defeated. His capital was Samarkand.
The Timurid empire broke out after his death. His son Shahrukh reigned over Persia and transferred the capital from Samarkand to Herat. He re-established relations with China through the silk road and became immensely wealthy. He did not seek conquests, took the title of sultan and protected Islam.
This political lull occured during the reign of Yongle of the Ming. A first Chinese embassy reaches Herat in 815 AH (1412 CE). China produces porcelain decorated in Muslim taste to serve as a diplomatic gift. The second embassy in 820 AH brought many gifts including porcelain but also silks, brocades, velvets and paper. This embassy is probably the terminus post quem of the Persian books on Chinese paper.
The Chinese luxury paper is thick, and designed to be extremely soft and silky to the touch. The Chinese workshops prepare the folio on a monochrome background in various hues of blue, pink, lavender, yellow and green. They then add an illustration in gold, with speckled patterns and sometimes figurative drawings, without human representation in conformance with the iconographic principles of Islam. The Persian workshops add their text on this preparation.
A dozen Persian manuscripts on Chinese paper are known, including four Qur'ans. One of these Qur'ans, recently discovered, consists of 534 folios 23 x 16 cm, 29 of which have been replaced. The text in Naskh script is written on each page in a 14 x 9.4 cm frame. The binding is Safavid. This book was sold for £ 7M from a lower estimate of £ 600K for sale by Christie's on June 25, 2020, lot 29.
The Timurid empire broke out after his death. His son Shahrukh reigned over Persia and transferred the capital from Samarkand to Herat. He re-established relations with China through the silk road and became immensely wealthy. He did not seek conquests, took the title of sultan and protected Islam.
This political lull occured during the reign of Yongle of the Ming. A first Chinese embassy reaches Herat in 815 AH (1412 CE). China produces porcelain decorated in Muslim taste to serve as a diplomatic gift. The second embassy in 820 AH brought many gifts including porcelain but also silks, brocades, velvets and paper. This embassy is probably the terminus post quem of the Persian books on Chinese paper.
The Chinese luxury paper is thick, and designed to be extremely soft and silky to the touch. The Chinese workshops prepare the folio on a monochrome background in various hues of blue, pink, lavender, yellow and green. They then add an illustration in gold, with speckled patterns and sometimes figurative drawings, without human representation in conformance with the iconographic principles of Islam. The Persian workshops add their text on this preparation.
A dozen Persian manuscripts on Chinese paper are known, including four Qur'ans. One of these Qur'ans, recently discovered, consists of 534 folios 23 x 16 cm, 29 of which have been replaced. The text in Naskh script is written on each page in a 14 x 9.4 cm frame. The binding is Safavid. This book was sold for £ 7M from a lower estimate of £ 600K for sale by Christie's on June 25, 2020, lot 29.
1419-1424 Crucifixion by Fra Angelico
2023 SOLD for £ 5M by Christie's
Guido di Piero, aged about 20, joined a guild of religious painters in 1417. A fresco painter in a Dominican convent in Fiesole from 1418, he took his vows therein before 1423 as Fra Giovanni and was known by his contemporaries as Fra Giovanni di Fiesole. Vasari lauded him as Fra Giovanni Angelico and he will be more simply identified later as Fra Angelico.
His training was certainly influenced by Lorenzo Monaco who was a monk in nearby Florence. Nevertheless a very early Crucifixion by Fra Angelico departs from his predecessors by its intense emotion.
This tempera on gold ground arched panel 60 x 34 cm painted probably between 1419 and 1424 was possibly the center piece of a triptych. It was sold for £ 5M by Christie's on July 6, 2023, lot 24. This painting in exceptional condition maintains the very bright colors of the original tempera. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This work features the crucified Christ with the Virgin, St. John the Baptist and St. Magdalen. The three holy characters are positioned in a row in front of the Christ. The Magdalen's halo is altogether before Mary's cloak and behind the vertical beam, providing a dynamic effect to the whole composition.
The kneeling Magdalen provides an effect of depth by her arms that surround the vertical beam of the cross. Two fully wrapped praying angels are symmetrically flying to the Christ. The full frontal cross departs from the earlier conventional perspective with a false edge. Christ's slender body was possibly influenced by a Crucifixion sculpture by Brunelleschi. In the convention of the Trecento, the nailed feet of Christ are lying on a shelf.
His training was certainly influenced by Lorenzo Monaco who was a monk in nearby Florence. Nevertheless a very early Crucifixion by Fra Angelico departs from his predecessors by its intense emotion.
This tempera on gold ground arched panel 60 x 34 cm painted probably between 1419 and 1424 was possibly the center piece of a triptych. It was sold for £ 5M by Christie's on July 6, 2023, lot 24. This painting in exceptional condition maintains the very bright colors of the original tempera. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
This work features the crucified Christ with the Virgin, St. John the Baptist and St. Magdalen. The three holy characters are positioned in a row in front of the Christ. The Magdalen's halo is altogether before Mary's cloak and behind the vertical beam, providing a dynamic effect to the whole composition.
The kneeling Magdalen provides an effect of depth by her arms that surround the vertical beam of the cross. Two fully wrapped praying angels are symmetrically flying to the Christ. The full frontal cross departs from the earlier conventional perspective with a false edge. Christ's slender body was possibly influenced by a Crucifixion sculpture by Brunelleschi. In the convention of the Trecento, the nailed feet of Christ are lying on a shelf.
1424 Memorial Seal of Empress Wen
2021 SOLD for HK$ 43M by Sotheby's
The general Xu Da had a leading role in the fall of the Yuan and the establishment of the Ming dynasty. In 1376 CE he married his eldest daughter, aged 14, to Zhu Di, aged 16, the fourth son of the Hongwu emperor.
The very able Zhu Di usurps the empire in 1402 by a coup. His reign name will be Yongle. His wife participates in the court by honoring the virtues. She is also a visionary and certainly contributes to rallying Buddhists to Yongle.
The new empress died five years later. She was given the posthumous name Renxiao Huanghou, evoking her benevolence. Yongle died in 1424. Their son succeeded him with the reign name of Hongxi. He wanted to carry out great reforms and began by piously changing the name of his mother, who posthumously became Empress Wen. He died after eight months of reign.
The survival of a memorial seal of Empress Wen is extraordinary. All other similar jade seals from the Ming dynasty were either transformed or burned by the Qing. This specimen is fragmentary, with traces of calcification created by fire. Half of the square base and an entire side of the dragon's body are missing. Fortunately the fierce head is complete and the identification of the Empress is preserved.
This 10 cm high imperial green jade seal was sold for HK $ 43M from a lower estimate of HK $ 25M by Sotheby's on April 22, 2021, lot 3601.
The very able Zhu Di usurps the empire in 1402 by a coup. His reign name will be Yongle. His wife participates in the court by honoring the virtues. She is also a visionary and certainly contributes to rallying Buddhists to Yongle.
The new empress died five years later. She was given the posthumous name Renxiao Huanghou, evoking her benevolence. Yongle died in 1424. Their son succeeded him with the reign name of Hongxi. He wanted to carry out great reforms and began by piously changing the name of his mother, who posthumously became Empress Wen. He died after eight months of reign.
The survival of a memorial seal of Empress Wen is extraordinary. All other similar jade seals from the Ming dynasty were either transformed or burned by the Qing. This specimen is fragmentary, with traces of calcification created by fire. Half of the square base and an entire side of the dragon's body are missing. Fortunately the fierce head is complete and the identification of the Empress is preserved.
This 10 cm high imperial green jade seal was sold for HK $ 43M from a lower estimate of HK $ 25M by Sotheby's on April 22, 2021, lot 3601.
