An extremely rare early Ming cloisonn?and gilt bronze ritual vessel (Kundika) China, Ming Dynasty, Yongle / Xuande period

the globular body finely enameled in cloisonn?technique with three large lotus and their buds borne on scrolling stems, each flowerhead with a different permutation of red, yellow, white, dark blue and rich green petals against a turquoise ground, between a collar and skirt of lotus lappets before the join to the columnar neck set with a short ring below a large intermediary bulb enameled with further lappets and a gilt-bronze seeded border, rising to a six-sided stem and a lobed lotus-bud finial, all supported on a columnar stem with similar ring before the domed foot spreading in three steps of enameled lappets, gilt-bronze lappets and enameled red green and yellow classic scroll, the spout issuing from a red collar at the side of the body and set with gilt-bronze triratna or Buddhist triple-jewel against red scrolls below the cupped mouth set with lappets, with a later Tibetan domed cover of conforming shape with bud finial, and bulb stopper

Sotheby's New York, 7th June 1994, lot 63.

A & J Speelman, Ltd., 'Buddhist Works of Art', London, 1998, no.16

Only one other early fifteenth century cloisonn?vessel of this type appears to be published, very similar in shape but varying in the details of the lotus scroll, the example from the Kitson Collection, sold in our London rooms, 18th October 1960, lot 104, illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonn?Enamels, London, 1962, pl. 16 and in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Art, London, 1992, pl. 140, and presented by Sir Harry to the British Museum.

Garner notes, ibid., p.57, that fifteenth century cloisonn?enamels were made for the use in Buddhist temples, in shapes suitable for ceremonial use and decorated with lotus scrolls. This shape is of Indian origin and is related to the larger kundika flasks. The British Museum example is illustrated again by W. Zwalf, Buddhism: Art & Faith, London, 1985, fig.301, where Zwalf cites the Tibetan name of the form - spyi-blugs - and suggests this form may initially have been used by Tibetan monks to rinse their mouths of impurities after meals or before prayer. It is therefore interesting to note that the present example shows indication of actual devotional use, particularly given its replacement spout-cap, probably enameled in Tibet in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, and clearly made with pre-cut enamel pieces low-fired into place.