A Chinese Sixteenth Century Ming Cloisonné Enamel Dish-Shaped Cup Stand

A very fine and beautiful Chinese sixteenth century Ming cloisonné enamel dish-shaped cup stand, the interior cast with a domed ring to the centre with a flat well and everted rim, enamelled to the centre with a single lotus spray framed by a border of red, white and yellow lotus flowers amid scrolling leaf tendrils on a turquoise blue ground, the rim with stylised coloured flower heads and green leaves on a white ground, the reverse decorated at centre with a single lotus spray bordered by a ring of what appears to be peaches of immortality on a white ground, bordered by a ring of lotus flower heads and leaf sprays on a turquoise ground, the underside of the rim in gold
China, first half of the sixteenth century
Diameter 11.5 cm.
Literature: Helmut Brinker, “Chinese Cloisonné: the Pierre Uldry Collection”, 1989, no. 81, illustrating a similar Ming cloisonné enamel dish-shaped cup stand, dating from the first half of the sixteenth century which, as here, a central domed ring enclosing a lotus medallion framed by a border of lotus flowers surrounded by scrolling leaf tendrils.
Chinese cloisonné, characterised by colourful enamelwork on metal, has been prized for its exquisite beauty and intricate craftsmanship for centuries. Traditional cloisonné pieces are highly collectible and can be found in various forms such as dishes, cups and their stands, bowls, vases, censers, and other decorative objects. Cloisonné art (jingtai lan) has a long history in China, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when it was introduced from the Middle East where blue (lan) was the favourite colour. However, it was not until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that the art of cloisonné enamel became highly developed and widely popular among the Chinese Imperial court and the elite. Following on from the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), also saw a flourishing of cloisonné enamel production, with various regional styles and techniques emerging.
Cloisonné art involves the use of intricate metalwork, enamel, and precise firing techniques. Copper is usually used as the base metal, which is shaped into the desired form. Cloisonné enamel wares from the early Ming period are rare, as production was strictly regulated by the Palace eunuchs who operated under the auspices of the Yuyongjian, a sub-division of the Neifu, or Inner Treasury, which was responsible for supplies to the Imperial household. The technique involved coloured-glass paste being placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which have been bent or hammered into the desired pattern. Known as cloisons, from the French word for partitions, the enclosures were generally either pasted or soldered onto the metal body. The glass paste, or enamel, is coloured with metallic oxide and painted into the enclosures. The object was then fired in a kiln multiple times, usually at a relatively low temperature about 800°C. Enamels commonly shrink after firing, and the process is repeated several times to fill in the designs. Once this process is complete, the surface of the vessel is polished until the edges of the cloisons or partitions are visible. They are then gilded, often on the edges, in the interior, and on the base. Authentic Ming cloisonné pieces are rare and valuable, as many of them were lost or destroyed over the centuries due to wars, political upheavals, and natural disasters. A cup stand such as this, would have been made alongside a matching cup that rested upon the raised inner circular ring. However, over the years, many cups and their stands have been separated. Thankfully, because of their beauty, such cup stands are now enjoyed purely for their aesthetic appeal, and in fact, without the cup, they can be shown to even greater advantage. The main decoration here are colourful lotus flowers and scrolled leaf tendrils, which proved a very popular decoration during the early sixteenth century. The lotus, which is a sacred flower in Buddhist art symbolises purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening. As much attention is given to the decoration of the reverse as to the interior of the cup stand, thus on the reverse many of the same decorations are repeated with the addition of a ring of what appears to be peaches of immortality, which according to Chinese folk legends, grew in the gardens of the Queen Mother of the West, Xiwangmu and only ripened every thousand (or 3000 or 9000) years. For this reason, they became a symbol of longevity.