Hongwu

An exquisite blue and white 'fish pond' brush washer. Mark and period of Xuande.  Photo Sotheby's Hong Kong, April 7, 2011 Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s International Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Department, said: “As the seventh day of sales for Sotheby’s Hong Kong series, 1-7 April 2011, concludes, the company has achieved HK$2,628,604,000 / US$337,000,513, in excess of the high pre-sale estimate of HK$2,539,996,000 / US$326,478,000. While there were some remarkable prices during the evening sale of The Meiyintang... [Lire la suite]

Chinese Ming banknote, China, AD 1375 © Trustees of the British Museum After seizing power from the Mongol rulers of China in 1368, the rulers of the Ming dynasty tried to reinstate bronze coins. However, there was not enough metal available for this, and paper money, made of mulberry bark, was produced. These banknotes continued to be issued by the Board of Revenue throughout the Ming dynasty, but inflation quickly eroded their value. The effect of inflation was so devastating that state-issued banknotes were regarded with... [Lire la suite]

A highly important and extremely fine early Ming underglaze-blue vase, yuhuchunping. Hongwu period (1368-1398). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2009. The well-potted pear-shaped vase decorated in cobalt with a distinct 'heaping and piling' effect on the globular body, with four peony blossoms rendered alternately full-faced and in profile, borne on a slender scrolling stem with serrated leaves and buds, between upright lotus petal panels and a pendent trefoil collar, the waisted neck encircled by a classic scroll, keyfret and... [Lire la suite]

A rare underglaze copper-red vase, yuhuchunping, Hongwu The elegantly potted pear-shaped body rising from a short foot ring to a generously rounded body and an elegant waisted neck, painted in rich red tones with an undulating peony meander growing four blooms, alternatively depicted in profile and full-faced, the flowers crowned by large arched stems bearing pointed foliage, all above a border of lotus petal lappets containing ruyi-head pendants, and a classic scroll band at the foot, the waisted... [Lire la suite]