writing-box BM-PDF-A.629

Period:Ming dynasty Production date:1426-1435
Materials:porcelain
Technique:underglazed
Subjects:the three friends of winter
Dimensions:Height: 72 millimetres Width: 320 millimetres Depth: 78 millimetres

Description:
Oval writing box and cover. Underglaze blue with dense lattice pattern inset with ogival panels containing scrolling flowers. ‘Three Friends of Winter’, pine, prunus and bamboo, on inside of lid. Inside contains separate areas for porcelain ink, pens and porcelain water, with scrolling flower design. Base unglazed.
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Comments:Published PDF date : Ming Xuande Room 95 label text:PDF A629Writing box in a Middle Eastern metal shapeThis writing box has three separate compartments inside possibly for pens, water or ink and a well for storing blotting threads. The inside of the cover is painted with the ‘Three Friends of Winter’. A box of the same shape but with a different design was excavated from the Yongle strata at the imperial kiln site at Jingdezhen in 1984. The Yongle emperor sponsored trade and exploratory missions abroad. Admiral Zheng He鄭和 (AD 1371–1433) began his voyages to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa under the Yongle emperor’s patronage. At court a fashion for ‘exotic’ Middle Eastern are inspired object forms and decorative motifs prevailed. The shape of this writing box as well as its dense decoration is inspired by earlier inlaid metalwork from the Middle East, as evidenced by brass writing boxes, some inlaid with silver, that were made, for example, in Egypt or Syria. Porcelain with underglaze cobalt-blue decorationJingdezhen, Jiangxi province 江西省, 景德鎮Ming dynasty, Yongle period, AD 1403–24 PDF A629中東金屬器形文具盒這件文具盒內部分爲三個擋格，可能分別用來放置筆、水或墨汁，以及吸墨線。盒蓋裏繪青花歲寒三友圖。有一件器形相同但紋飾有異的蓋盒，曾在1984年出土自景德鎮御窯遺址的永樂地層。永樂皇帝曾大力資助過當時明王朝對外的貿易與探險活動。船隊主帥鄭和(1371~1433年)就是奉永樂皇帝之命航海，前往東南亞、中東及非洲諸國。中外交流將中東的器物造形和裝飾主題帶到了明朝宮廷，形成了喜好中東“異域風物”的風尚。本件文具盒的造型與繁密的裝飾，受較早期中東製作的金屬鑲嵌器啓發而來，例如埃及或敘利亞曾生産一種黃銅文具盒，有些還帶嵌銀工藝。瓷器，青花江西省景德鎮明代，永樂，1403-1424年