A silver-inlaid and gilt-bronze ‘lotus flower’ incense-tool vase by Hu Wenming, Ming Dynasty, 17th century | 明十七世紀 局部鎏金銅錯銀番蓮紋小瓶 《胡文明作》款
Lot Closed
April 17, 07:28 AM GMT
Estimate
120,000 - 180,000 HKD
Lot Details
Description
A silver-inlaid and gilt-bronze ‘lotus flower’ incense-tool vase by Hu Wenming
Ming Dynasty, 17th century
明十七世紀 局部鎏金銅錯銀番蓮紋小瓶
《胡文明作》款
of restrained yuhuchun form, the elegant neck gently curving to a flared lip, the swollen body supported on a flattened, circular footrim, the exterior of the main body chased in relief with a continuous design of four lotus flowers amidst scrolling foliage, all set against a ring-punched ground, the neck with a band of stylised interlocking floral scroll, above and below gilt bands, the upper neck inlaid in silver with a key-fret collar, the inlaid copper foot engraved in zhuanshu with four-character mark Hu Wenming zuo (‘Made by Hu Wenming’)
11.5 cm
333 g
Ip Yee Collection, Hong Kong, 1984.
The Water, Pine And Stone Retreat Collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th April 2014, lot 211.
來源：
葉義醫生收藏，香港，1984年
水松石山房收藏
香港蘇富比2014年4月8日，編號211
Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, Arts from the Scholar’s Studio, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1986, no. 230.
Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, 'Chinese Metalwork of the Hu Wenming Group', Handbook, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1984, p. 52, fig. 24.
展覽：
Gerard Tsang 及 Hugh Moss，《文玩萃珍》，香港大學馮平山博物館，香港，1986年，編號230
Gerard Tsang 及 Hugh Moss，< Chinese Metalwork of the Hu Wenming Group >，《Handbook, International Asian Antiques Fair》，香港，1984年，頁52，圖24
This is an unusual form for a Hu Wenming incense-tool vase, being of yuhuchun form rather than the more common cylindrical variety. It also has the thick, silver-wire inlay around the neck often associated with his finer wares in bronze.
For what appears to be a metalwork incense-tool vase of Hu Wenming type, see a portrait of Yinxiang, Prince Yi (1686-1730), illustrated by Jan Stuart and Evelyn S. Rawski, Worshipping the Ancestors. Chinese Commemorative Portraits, Freer Gallery, Washington, 2001, p. 70, no. 2.15, where it sits on an incense stand behind his right shoulder along with an incense burner of bronze, and li tripod form and a red lacquer incense powder box and cover.