A CLOISONNE ENAMEL MINIATURE MOONFLASK, BIANHU, LATE MING DYNASTY China, 16^th-17^th century. The flattened globular body supported on a tall spreading foot and rising to a short cylindrical neck. Finely decorated in bright enamels with a central roundel to each side enclosing a shou character encircled by chilong against a turquoise ground, the short sides with kui dragons against a lime-green ground, the neck and foot with different ruyi-head bands. The shoulder neatly applied with a gilt bronze handle and spout, for the vessel to function as a water dropper.

Provenance: From an old private collection in Berlin, Germany, assembled before 2007 and thence by descent.
Condition: Good condition with extensive old wear, some manufacturing flaws, including expected pitting, small losses to enamel with associated old fills, few nicks and light scratches. Handle and spout are possibly of a later date. Fine patina overall.

Weight: 183.7 g
Dimensions: Height 9.2 cm

Literature comparison: See a larger example of the same type but decorated with chilong at the center from the Clague collection, published in Ronald D. Hickman and Claudia Brown, Chinese Cloisonné, the Clague Collection, Phoenix, 1980, pl. 12. Compare also a related example of larger size, included in The Minor Arts of China III, Spink & Son Ltd, London, 1987, cat. no. 89.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 16 March 2016, lot 329
Price: USD 15,000 or approx. EUR 17,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small cloisonne enamel moon flask, Ming dynasty, 16^th century
Expert remark: Compare the related form and decoration, though with a short foot and larger neck, and with a taiji diagram instead of a shou character. Note the slightly larger size (12.1 cm).



明末掐絲琺瑯雙龍捧壽小扁壺
中國，十六至十七世紀。扁壺，直頸，高足外撇。壺身開光内藍地雙龍捧壽。四周青綠色地夔龍紋。肩部鎏金執柄和流，可做硯滴。

來源：德國私人收藏，購於2007年前，保存至今。
品相：狀況良好，有大量磨損，一些製造瑕疵，琺瑯輕微缺損以及相應的舊填充物，少量劃痕。柄和流可能是較晚時候拼接。 整體光澤細膩。

重量：183.7 克
尺寸：高9.2 厘米

文獻比較：見一件較大的例子，相似形制、但飾有螭龍，收藏於Clague collection，出版於Ronald D. Hickman and Claudia Brown，《Chinese Cloisonné, the Clague Collection》，鳳凰城，1980年，圖12。比較一件也相近的例子，但尺寸較大，見《The Minor Arts of China III, Spink & Son Ltd》，倫敦， 1987年，圖錄編號89。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2016年3月16日，lot 329
價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日EUR 17,500）
描述：十六世紀明代掐絲琺瑯扁壺
專家評論：比較相近的外型和裝飾，但此扁壺短足和粗頸，以及飾有太極圖示。請注意尺寸稍大(12.1 厘米)。