A LARGE CINNABAR LACQUER ‘PHOENIX’ FLOWERPOT, MING DYNASTY
China, 15th to early 16th century. With a heavily cast bronze body, finely modeled with deep rounded sides supported on a short foot and rising to an everted rim. Superbly carved through the layers of lustrous deep crimson lacquer to the ochre ground with a pair of phoenixes flying with outstretched wings amid large peony blossoms borne on leafy stems, with neatly incised details such as the feathers, blossoms, and leaves.


Provenance:
From an old private collection in Cotswold, United Kingdom. Acquired in the 1920s or earlier, and kept in the same family ever since, according to the last owner.

Condition:
Remarkably well preserved, commensurate with age. Old wear, expected age cracks and splits, small losses, tiny nicks here and there, light scratches. Some sections of the lacquer are slightly loosened.

Weight: 4,675 g
Dimensions: Diameter 34 cm, Height 27.4 cm


The ‘two birds’ design
featuring a pair of birds among flowers was a popular motif in Chinese carved lacquer, particularly from the thirteenth to early fifteenth century. In this example, two phoenixes fly amid lush, blossoming peonies. Such decoration also became standard in other media, such as textiles and ceramics, produced by the Imperial workshops of the Ming dynasty.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related cinnabar lacquer box and cover, similarly carved on an ochre ground with long-tailed birds and prunus blossoms, 24.2 cm in diameter, dated 1550-1650, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number FE.50-1974.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 12 December 2019, lot 62
Price: EUR 150,000 or approx.
EUR 170,000
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare and finely carved red cinnabar lacquer ‘peony’ box and cover, Xuande six-character mark and of the period (1426-1435)
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving through layers of cinnabar lacquer to an ochre ground, as well as the related peony motif, albeit without phoenixes. Note the reign mark, different form, and the much smaller size (22 cm).




明代大型剔犀鳳鳥紋花盆

中國，十五至十六世紀初。銅胎剔犀，弦紋口，深弧形腹。精美剔犀，雕琢一對展翅飛翔的鳳凰，卷葉牡丹，羽毛、花朵、葉子等細節都雕刻得十分細緻。全器漆色鮮紅，色彩純正，布局層次分明，雕刻有力，刀法渾厚婉轉，藏鋒不露，磨工精細圓潤。


來源：
來自英國科茨沃爾德的私人舊藏；根據最後一位主人的說法，這件拍品是在 1920 年代或更早時期購入，自那以後一直由同一個家族保管。

品相：
保存完好，磨損、年代裂縫和裂口、小缺損、局部微小的刻痕和劃痕。部分漆面有輕微鬆動。

重量：4,675 克
尺寸：直徑 34 厘米，高 27.4 厘米


文獻比較:

比較一件相近的1550-1650年剔犀蓋盒 ，相似的赭石地上雕刻著長尾鳥和李花，直徑24.2 厘米，收藏於Victoria & Albert Museum，館藏編號 FE.50-1974。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2019年12月12日，lot 62
價錢：EUR 150,000（相當今日
EUR 170,000
）
描述：明宣德剔紅纏枝牡丹四季花卉紋蓋盒
專家註釋：比較非常相近的雕刻風格，透過層層硃砂漆，到赭色底色，以及相近的牡丹圖案，儘管沒有鳳凰。請注意 年代款、不同的外形，以及尺寸較小 (22 厘米)