A rare reticulated gold ornament Ming dynasty, 15th century | 明十五世紀 金鏤雕雲龍紋配飾

Sensitively worked in relief with openwork of a dragon soaring among clouds as well as the head of a lion, this luxuriant gold ornament evokes the opulent life during the 15th century. As one of the most valuable materials, gold was limited in its use by Ming (1368-1644) sumptuary laws and was largely restricted to members of the imperial family. Hardly any comparable gold ornaments have survived, except for the famous pair of gold plaques set with semi-precious stones from the Xuande period (1426-35), with a pierced design of two dragons pursuing a flaming pearl among clouds, formerly in the collection of George Eumorfopoulos and Sir Bernard Eckstein, Bart, sold twice in these rooms, 31st May 1940, lot 515 and 8th November 1949, lot 163, now in the British Museum, London (accession no. 1949,1213.1-2), included in the Museum’s exhibition Ming: 50 Years that Changed China, London, 2014-15, catalogue pp. 108-9, fig. 98.