A LARGE ‘BIRDS WORSHIPPING THE PHOENIX’ CLOISONNÉ BASIN, MING DYNASTYChina, 16th to early 17th century. The interior exquisitely decorated in bright enamels with a majestic phoenix standing proudly on one leg, surrounded by adoring birds including a crane beside a tree, a peacock in flight amid colorful clouds, mandarin ducks in a pond, and pheasants perched on bamboo stalks, all encircled by red-ground foliate and white-ground lappet bands. The cavetto with a band of alternating lotus blossoms and the Eight Treasures (babao) below a diapered floral band, the everted rim with a band of chrysanthemum flowerheads and scrolling vines above a ruyi-head border, all against a dark blue ground.Provenance: London trade. Condition: Good condition with some old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities, including pitting to the enamel, the cavetto with small losses to enamel and associated old fills, minute dents, light wear to gilt. Weight: 1,960 g Dimensions: Diameter 37.5 cmPhoenixes surrounded by various birds, including cranes, mandarin ducks, and pheasants, are a common motif in Chinese culture. Phoenixes are regarded as the king of the birds, as they represent power, virtue, and grace. The present lot is a rare example of such a depiction on a cloisonné basin. Literature comparison: Compare a related cloisonné phoenix basin, dated to the late Ming dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 1, Beijing, 2011, no. 170. Two Ming dynasty cloisonné enamel basins decorated with phoenixes from the 15th and 16th centuries are illustrated by H. Brinker and A. Lutz in Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, The Asia Society Galleries, USA, 1989, pls. 19 and 63.Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s Paris, 9 June 2021, lot 166 Price: EUR 17,500 or approx. EUR 19,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cloisonné enamel ‘phoenix’ basin, China, Ming dynasty, 16th-17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, enamels, decorative bands, and phoenixes. Note the slightly smaller size (35 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2018, lot 653 Price: HKD 175,000 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A cloisonné enamel ‘carp’ basin, Ming dynasty, Wanli periodExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, enamels, and decorative bands. Note the slightly smaller size (35.5 cm) and different subject. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Paris, 10 December 2020, lot 6 Price: EUR 56,250 or approx. EUR 61,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large cloisonné enamel basin, China, 17th centuryExpert remark: Compare the closely related form, enamels, and decorative bands. Note the significantly larger size (53.5 cm) and different subject.明代大型《百鳥朝鳳》掐絲琺瑯盆中國，十六至十七世紀初。盆折沿，弧腹，平足。明豔精美的琺瑯，盆中開光描繪一隻威風凜凜的鳳凰單腿站立，周圍環繞著可愛的鳥兒，包括樹旁的鶴，彩雲中飛翔的孔雀，池塘中的鴛鴦，竹上的雉鷄；盆内壁可見纏枝蓮紋帶與八寶紋帶。 來源：倫敦古玩交易。 品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損和製造不規則，包括琺瑯點蝕和凹陷、鎏金有些缺損和相對應的修補、鎏金輕微磨損。 重量：1,960 克 尺寸：直徑37.5 厘米 《百鳥朝鳳》這個題材在繪畫和刺繡中經常出現。鳳凰被視為百鳥之王，至高至上，美好吉祥。文獻比較： 比較一件相近的明代銅胎掐絲琺瑯鳳凰盆 ，見《故宮博物院藏品大系．琺瑯器編1》，北京，2011年，編號170。兩件十五至十六世紀明代銅胎掐絲琺瑯鳳凰盆，見H. Brinker和A. Lutz《Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection》，The Asia Society Galleries，美國，1989年，頁19和63。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：非常相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2021年6月9日，lot 166 價格：EUR 17,500（相當於今日EUR 19,000） 描述：明十六/十七世紀掐絲琺瑯鳳紋折沿盆 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、琺瑯、裝飾花邊和鳳凰。請注意尺寸(35 厘米)稍小。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：香港蘇富比，2018年5月30日，lot 653 價格：HKD 175,000（相當於今日EUR 22,500） 描述：明萬曆掐絲琺瑯鯉躍龍門折沿盆 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、琺瑯、裝飾花邊。請注意尺寸(35.5 厘米)稍小和不同主題。 拍賣結果比較： 形制：相近 拍賣：巴黎佳士得，2020年12月10日，lot 6 價格：EUR 56,250（相當於今日EUR 61,500） 描述：十七世紀掐絲琺瑯荷塘戲水紋折沿大盆 專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、琺瑯、裝飾花邊。請注意尺寸(53.5 厘米)大很多和不同主題。#worksofart