Years 1430-1459
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Buddhism Early Ming Chinese porcelain Ming porcelain Dragon Chinese calligraphy
See also : Buddhism Early Ming Chinese porcelain Ming porcelain Dragon Chinese calligraphy
1430 Sutra for the Xuande Emperor
2018 SOLD for HK$ 240M by Sotheby's
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 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 was sold for HK $ 240M by Sotheby's on April 3, 2018, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
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 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 was sold for HK $ 240M by Sotheby's on April 3, 2018, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Xuande Porcelain
Intro
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 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.
1
Blue Fishes
2017 SOLD for HK$ 230M by Sotheby's
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, 2017, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 230M 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.
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, 2017, Sotheby's sold for HK $ 230M 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.
A Xuande bowl expected to fetch US$12.8mil leads #HongKong's Chinese Works of Art sales on 5 Apr #sothebysasianart https://t.co/5ILRjKHVQh pic.twitter.com/WIhR7E11Yk
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) March 27, 2017
2
Dragon Jar
2016 SOLD for HK$ 158M by Christie's
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.
On May 30, 2016, Christie's sold for HK $ 158M a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 from a lower estimate of HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference. It is a superb large size example of the Xuande perfection in the blue and white that will never be achieved again, even under Chenghua.
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.
On May 30, 2016, Christie's sold for HK $ 158M a jar 48 cm high, lot 3012 from a lower estimate of HK $ 60M. The empowered dragon deploys its undulating body throughout the circumference. It is a superb large size example of the Xuande perfection in the blue and white that will never be achieved again, even under Chenghua.
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 $20 million pic.twitter.com/BT3lTth3vU
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) July 22, 2016
3
Dragon Stembowl
2012 SOLD for HK$ 113M by Sotheby's
During Xuande's reign, white porcelain is purified with an unprecedented care, creating an unalterable material. The improvement of the cobalt blue associated with a thick glaze provides to the imperial pieces the brilliance of the drawing and the tactile quality. These advances allow Jingdezhen potters to prepare new visual effects.
The realization of different hues of blue on the same piece is obtained by spreading the color like a traditional ink wash on a paper. Obtaining shades of blue by modifying the purity of cobalt will be developed half a century later for the Chenghua palace bowls.
The Chinese have always enjoyed the lithophanes. The new purity of the porcelain, associated with a thinness of the walls which does not prevent the robustness, makes it possible to incise hidden images observable only by transparency. This secret decoration is named anhua.
A model of bowl on a tall hollow foot includes all these advances of the blue and white. These pieces about 15.5 cm in diameter are decorated on the exterior of the bowl with two dragons drawn in dark blue with a fine brush, evolving within light blue clouds. The interior includes a pair of anhua dragons that encircle the imperial mark painted in dark blue. For these bowls of very high prestige, these dragons are imperial with five fingers per leg.
A Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue. It was sold for HK $ 113M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M on April 4, 2012 by Sotheby's, lot 29.
On May 31, 2016, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sold for HK $ 41.5M a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84. On the theme of two flying dragons chasing the pearl, it is a great example of the Xuande luminosity in the blue and white that will never be achieved again, even under Chenghua. This small piece 8.7 cm high and 9.8 cm in diameter is in brilliant condition including the perfectly preserved softness of its thick and lustrous glaze.
The realization of different hues of blue on the same piece is obtained by spreading the color like a traditional ink wash on a paper. Obtaining shades of blue by modifying the purity of cobalt will be developed half a century later for the Chenghua palace bowls.
The Chinese have always enjoyed the lithophanes. The new purity of the porcelain, associated with a thinness of the walls which does not prevent the robustness, makes it possible to incise hidden images observable only by transparency. This secret decoration is named anhua.
A model of bowl on a tall hollow foot includes all these advances of the blue and white. These pieces about 15.5 cm in diameter are decorated on the exterior of the bowl with two dragons drawn in dark blue with a fine brush, evolving within light blue clouds. The interior includes a pair of anhua dragons that encircle the imperial mark painted in dark blue. For these bowls of very high prestige, these dragons are imperial with five fingers per leg.
A Xuande stembowl 15 cm high is decorated with a pair of dragons swimming in the waves. The artist in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, playing with the thickness of the line, obtained several shades of blue. It was sold for HK $ 113M from a lower estimate of HK $ 50M on April 4, 2012 by Sotheby's, lot 29.
On May 31, 2016, Lyon and Turnbull in association with Freeman's sold for HK $ 41.5M a stem cup 10 cm in diameter, lot 84. On the theme of two flying dragons chasing the pearl, it is a great example of the Xuande luminosity in the blue and white that will never be achieved again, even under Chenghua. This small piece 8.7 cm high and 9.8 cm in diameter is in brilliant condition including the perfectly preserved softness of its thick and lustrous glaze.
4
Dragon Stembowl
2019 SOLD for HK$ 75M by Sotheby's
The Xuande stembowls were made in series, as it is often the case with Chinese imperial porcelain.
One of them was sold for HK $ 75M from a lower estimate of HK $ 60M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019, lot 3606. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
One of them was sold for HK $ 75M from a lower estimate of HK $ 60M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019, lot 3606. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
5
Dragon Stembowl
2016 SOLD for HK$ 69M by Christie's
Four pieces also exist in a very close variant as the above example, of the same dimensions, recognizable by a different design of the rocks on the foot.
One of them, also with the anhua, was sold for HK $ 69M by Christie's on November 30, 2016, lot 3310. The auction house commented that the anhua is so subtle that it was missed by the catalogers in the previous sales of the same specimen.
One of them, also with the anhua, was sold for HK $ 69M by Christie's on November 30, 2016, lot 3310. The auction house commented that the anhua is so subtle that it was missed by the catalogers in the previous sales of the same specimen.
6
Ode to Eternal Peace Stembowl
2024 SOLD for RMB 52M by Poly
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.
Cups of this type were made to accompany monk's cap ewers, forming a set for drinking tea or wine. They were used at wedding banquets or on special celebratory occasions.
A blue and white stembowl, 11.5 cm high and 17 cm in diameter, is decorated in its white outer wall with the horizontal blue frieze of a Buddhist prayer for eternal peace and tranquility in Tibetan lantsha script. Its anhua is displaying lotus petals and a circular inscription.
The four character Xuande mark in the base is in archaic script, similar as a Yongle mark script, and it may be supposed that this piece was made early in the Xuande reign.
This elegant bowl was sold for HK $ 23M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2009, lot 1671 and for RMB 52M by Poly on June 15, 2024, lot 6408. It is detailed and illustrated in the 2024 post sale report by The Value.
Two Buddhist porcelains bearing Xuande's imperial mark were sold by Sotheby's on October 3, 2017.
Lot 3301, sold for HK $ 51M, 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, sold for HK $ 35.5M, 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.
Cups of this type were made to accompany monk's cap ewers, forming a set for drinking tea or wine. They were used at wedding banquets or on special celebratory occasions.
A blue and white stembowl, 11.5 cm high and 17 cm in diameter, is decorated in its white outer wall with the horizontal blue frieze of a Buddhist prayer for eternal peace and tranquility in Tibetan lantsha script. Its anhua is displaying lotus petals and a circular inscription.
The four character Xuande mark in the base is in archaic script, similar as a Yongle mark script, and it may be supposed that this piece was made early in the Xuande reign.
This elegant bowl was sold for HK $ 23M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2009, lot 1671 and for RMB 52M by Poly on June 15, 2024, lot 6408. It is detailed and illustrated in the 2024 post sale report by The Value.
Two Buddhist porcelains bearing Xuande's imperial mark were sold by Sotheby's on October 3, 2017.
Lot 3301, sold for HK $ 51M, 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, sold for HK $ 35.5M, 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.
#MingDynasty #Buddhist #stembowl, sold for RMB 52M by #PolyAuction
— ArtHitParade (@ArtHitParade) June 24, 2024
reported post sale by #TheValue https://t.co/k6ZbJ9EmQ0
In the top 10 of #Xuande reign https://t.co/lRAtBMAvkY
Gilt Bronze
1
Amitayus
2010 SOLD for HK$ 70M by Christie's
The imperial gilt bronze Buddhist figures from the early Ming dynasty achieve an unprecedented fine casting and aesthetic grace. They are more frequent in the Yongle reign due to a 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. A 55 cm high Shakyamuni Buddha with the Yongle mark was sold for HK $ 253M by Sotheby's in 2013.
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.
They are very rare in large size. A 55 cm high Shakyamuni Buddha with the Yongle mark was sold for HK $ 253M by Sotheby's in 2013.
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.
2
pair of dancing Bodhisattvas
2006 SOLD for HK$ 51M by Sotheby's
Dancing statues are rare and highly elegant.
A 36 cm high gilt bronze figure with the mark and period of Xuande features the Tibetan Buddhist deity Vajrayogini in a dance movement that is a supreme achievement of balance. The left leg, slightly bent, is put on a crescent moon. The other, more curved, joins the mid calf. The body is slightly bent, with a pleasant position of the four heads and eight arms of the goddess. Each head is equipped with the third eye. It was sold for HK $ 18.6M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2010, lot 1859.
A pair of 27 cm high gilt bronze dancing figures of bodhisattvas in the same acrobatic posture as the example above, also with the marks and in the period of Xuande, was sold for HK $ 51M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2006, lot 805 in the sale of the Speelman collection.
A 36 cm high gilt bronze figure with the mark and period of Xuande features the Tibetan Buddhist deity Vajrayogini in a dance movement that is a supreme achievement of balance. The left leg, slightly bent, is put on a crescent moon. The other, more curved, joins the mid calf. The body is slightly bent, with a pleasant position of the four heads and eight arms of the goddess. Each head is equipped with the third eye. It was sold for HK $ 18.6M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2010, lot 1859.
A pair of 27 cm high gilt bronze dancing figures of bodhisattvas in the same acrobatic posture as the example above, also with the marks and in the period of Xuande, was sold for HK $ 51M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2006, lot 805 in the sale of the Speelman collection.
breakthrough
1438 medal of John VIII Paleologus by Pisanello
Italian medals were first developed in 1438 by Pisanello for the Byzantine emperor John VIII Paleologus.
The obverse and reverse of an example kept at the Palazzo Doria are shared by Wikimedia with attribution Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
The obverse and reverse of an example kept at the Palazzo Doria are shared by Wikimedia with attribution Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
1446 Storm over the Xiang River by Xia Chang
2010 SOLD for RMB 59M by Poly
In Chinese antique ink art, bamboo is a pendant to calligraphy. Both support the demonstration by the artist on his mastery of inkpot and brush. Bamboo allows contrasts and textures. The figure must display stem, knot, branches and leaves. Its silhouette provides a poetic effect.
The flexible plant can be bent but not broken. It was since Confucius a symbol of moral force, one of the four noble plants beside plum blossom, orchid and chrysanthemum.
Xia Chang staged the bamboos in wind and storm. His skill was recognized by a proverb that one of his bamboos was worth ten gold coins.
Storm over the Xiang River was executed by Xia for two friends in the Bingyin year of Zhengtong matching 1446 CE in the full maturity of the artist. This handscroll in ink in paper 56 cm x 8.20 m was sold for RMB 59M from a lower estimate of RMB 3M by Poly on June 3, 2010, lot 2810, from the Ullens collection. The image is shared by Artnet.
The flexible plant can be bent but not broken. It was since Confucius a symbol of moral force, one of the four noble plants beside plum blossom, orchid and chrysanthemum.
Xia Chang staged the bamboos in wind and storm. His skill was recognized by a proverb that one of his bamboos was worth ten gold coins.
Storm over the Xiang River was executed by Xia for two friends in the Bingyin year of Zhengtong matching 1446 CE in the full maturity of the artist. This handscroll in ink in paper 56 cm x 8.20 m was sold for RMB 59M from a lower estimate of RMB 3M by Poly on June 3, 2010, lot 2810, from the Ullens collection. The image is shared by Artnet.
