Estimate

90.000 - 120.000

Session 2

29 April 2015

Hammer Price

Description

Chinese porcelain
Zhangzhou, Fujian/Guandong provinces
Ming Dynasty, Jiajing Period circa 1530/50

Blue underglaze decoration depicting winged dragon at the centre framed by clouds, flames and waves; flanked by stylized flowers and ruyi scrolls; geometric pattern frieze near the rim
Back decorated with five medallions intercalated with stylized clouds; two medallions depicting “Esfera Armilar”, one bearing IHS insignia and crown of thorns and the other two depicting oriental landscapes.
The present work is part of a small group of pieces that form the first commission of oriental porcelain for the Portuguese (and European) market. Characterized by the simultaneous presence of occidental and oriental motifs, the present work bears both the HIS insignia (associated with the Jesuits) and the “Esfera Armilar” Royal insignia of D.Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521) and his son D.João III of Portugal (1521-1557)
The unreadable inscriptions crossing the Esfera Armilar in this case and the mistakes representing the Portuguese Royal Arms in other cases are a clear sign of lack of knowledge of the occidental symbols by the Chinese artists

Diam.: 31,1 cm
Height: 6,8 cm

Category

Porcelain

Additional Information

Note: Similar piece sold at VERITAS in October 2013 for 110.000.
Similar pieces at Fundação Medeiros e Almeida, Museu do Caramulo, Metropolitan Museum NY, Topkapi Saray Museum-Istanbul, Princessehof Museum-Netherlands and Idemitsu Museum of Arts-Tokio

Provenance:
Former Alpoim Calvão Collection

Bibliografia/ Bibliography:
Alberto Varela Santos, Portugal na Porcelana de China, pp. 116-117;
Caminhos da Porcelana Dinastias Ming e Qing/ The Porcelain Route Ming and Qing Dynasties, Lisboa: Fundação Oriente, 1998, p. 142;