Lot 74
A Pair of Large Sancai-Glazed Dragon-Form Roof Tiles, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Lot 74 Details
A Pair of Large Sancai-Glazed Dragon-Form Roof Tiles, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
明 三彩琉璃螭吻一对
Each modeled in two sections as a descending 'chiwen' dragon holding a roof ridge in its jaws as a smaller dragon writhes upwards along its truncated fish-like body through raised cloud scrolls
height 40 in — 101.6 cm
Estimate $20,000-$30,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
H.H. Pao Collection, Toronto
多伦多鲍恒发家族珍藏
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Note:
Originally fired to adorn the end terminals along a roof ridge, these ceramic tiles were moulded and glazed in the form of 'chiwen', one of the nine sons of the dragon. These beasts, comprised of half-fish and half-dragon, were characterized by their wide-set jaws employed to consume evil and bad luck. Their protective influence further extended to fires, typhoons and floods, due to the chiwen's attribution with the Eastern Sea. Their presentation and function could be loosely likened to the usage of gargoyles in Gothic architecture.
Shanxi province in Northern China was one of the centres of the tile-making industry during the Ming Dynasty. These workshops specialized in glazed architectural components, ranging from simple roof tiles to massive decorative finials fired from several components and weighing several tons for religious temples and imperial palaces, often in sancai or fahua palettes.
Compare with examples at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, accession number 2000.106.1582.1; the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Missouri, accession number 2000.7.A-D; Christie's New York, September 16, 2011, lot 1482; Christie's New York, March 21, 2000, lot 323; and Christie's Los Angeles, May 7, 1999, lot 112
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, accession number 2000.106.1582.1
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Missouri, accession number 2000.7.A-D
Christie's New York, March 21, 2000, lot 323
Christie's Los Angeles, May 7, 1999, lot 112
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