China, early 16th century
Height: 7 7/8 inches, 20 cm

A cloisonné enamel vase of meiping form, the body supported on a flat base with recessed centre, swelling outwards towards the shoulder, and with a short, flared neck that terminates in a lipped rim. The body is decorated in coloured enamels on a cobalt blue ground with three large floral sprays of lotus, peony and hibiscus, above a band of upright, formal leaves. A narrow copper band encircles the shoulder; above it is an enamelled frieze of peaches and other fruits. The neck is adorned with four chrysanthemum flowers. The neck, base and wires forming the cloisons are gilded.

The typical early 16th century naturalistic floral pattern on this exquisite early cloisonné enamel vase is more frequently found on other shapes such as dishes and incense burners; the meiping (‘plum blossom’) shape appears to be rare. A comparable example in the Uldry collection (no. 41) is described by Brinker and Lutz as “One of the most impressive examples of naturalistically drawn floral decoration, generous and elegant in design […]”.1 The authors also notice the use of wires of different widths to further enhance the design, and draw a parallel between the decoration of 16th century cloisonné and that found on fahua ceramics of around 1500.2 A virtually identical meiping from the David-Weill collection with a later base cast with the mark of the emperor Jingtai (r. 1450-1457) is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.3

Provenance: private collection, Sweden

1 - Brinker, H. and Lutz, A. Chinese Cloisonné, the Pierre Uldry Collection Asia Society Galleries, New York, 1989, page 102
2 - op. cit. page 102
3 - Quette, B. Cloisonnés Chinois, Guide des Collections du Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris 1998, no. 4, page 7