Covered box with hibiscus and grapevines
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.This box exemplifies the highest quality cloisonné produced by the imperial Ming workshop. In addition to the stylized lotus scrolls commonly seen on earlier works, it features a naturalistic depiction of flowers and fruit. To create the subtle color variations on the leaves, artists used a sophisticated process of mixing yellow, green, and red enamels. These representations date this piece to the mid-fifteenth century, most likely the legendary Jingtai era (1450–57)—a golden age of cloisonné enamel production in China.
Artwork Details
- 明早期 掐絲琺瑯秋葵葡萄紋盒
- Title: Covered box with hibiscus and grapevines
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
- Date: mid-15th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Cloisonné enamel
- Dimensions: H. 2 in. (5 cm); Diam. 6 1/2 in. (16.7 cm)
- Classification: Cloisonné
- Credit Line: Promised Gift of Clara and Theodore Wang
- Object Number: L.2022.23a–c
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art