A RARE RED KINRANDE STEMBOWL WITH GOLDEN LOTUS MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

the wide hemispherical bowl resting on a narrow tubular stem slightly splaying towards the base, completely overglazed around the exterior with a deep iron-red enamel and finely applied in the kinrande style with a golden lotus scroll, the four large pointed blooms depicted in silhouette with details incised with a fine point through the gold leaf to appear in red, evenly spaced within a dense foliage above a border of petal lappets, the stem originally applied with a similar gold decoration, now rubbed, between double-line golden fillets, the interior of the bowl and of the stem left white with some of the smoky glaze wiped inside the footring

Collection of Manno Yasuaki (1906-1998).
Collection of The Manno Art Museum, Osaka (no.481).
Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 547.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1684.

The stembowl is in overall quite good condition. The gold kinrande decoration that was originally applied around the stem is now rubbed, but most of the decoration to the exterior of the bowl has been preserved. The footrim has some shallow flakes, especially to the unglazed area, and some minor loss to the red decoration. There are also some minor scratches to the interior.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Kinrande (‘gold brocade work’) is a Japanese term for silhouette decoration applied in leaf gold, which was practised for a short period in the Jiajing reign. The fluid designs are created through application of a liquid adhesive with a brush, to which the leaf gold would adhere. Details are then incised through the gold. Kinrande porcelains were particularly treasured in Japan, but were also the pride of early Kunstkammer collections throughout Europe, often lavishly adorned with precious metal mounts; see the exhibition catalogue Encompassing the Globe. Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C., 2007, cat. nos. P 64-6.

Kinrande stem bowls are very rare. A similar piece, with the gold much rubbed, is in the British Museum, London, from the Harry Oppenheim collection, see Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, no. 9: 68.