SHANGHAI - On September 26 , 2023 , the Shanghai Museum held a grand donation ceremony to accept 32 sets of 46 copper- embedded filigree enamel vessels donated by Mr. Zhang Zongxian. Cloisonné enamel is a famous special metal handicraft in China, also known as "cloisonné". It is named after the production technology reached its peak during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty and the handicrafts produced are the most exquisite.

The title "Cloisonne" first appeared in the archives of the Qing Palace Construction Office. This kind of handicraft is made by welding various patterns surrounded by flat copper wires on a copper body, and then filling the patterns with enamel glaze and firing. The Qing Dynasty was another peak in the development of cloisonné enamel technology. The "Manufacturing Office" was set up in the Yangxin Hall of the Imperial Palace, specializing in manufacturing various imperial utensils, and enamel making was one of them. During the Qianlong period, cloisonné production achieved unprecedented development. At that time, in addition to the enamel production office of the Household Affairs Office of the Qing Palace, the cloisonné enamel production bases also included Guangzhou, Yangzhou and other important producing areas.

Mr. Zhang Zongxian recently donated 8 sets of 9 pieces of copper-body filigree enamelware to the Shanghai Museum again , totaling 55 pieces of copper-body filigree enamelware donated to the Shanghai Museum twice . These collections are rich in types, including furnishings, daily necessities, study supplies, etc., and span a wide range of ages, from the Ming Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. They can be described as numerous and exquisite collections. Among them, the enamel works produced by the manufacturing office during the Kangxi and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty can especially demonstrate the production level of palace enamelware. These precious works of art can be used to explore and display the development history of cloisonné enamel from multiple angles, and are indispensable and important information to promote related research.

Mr. Robert Chang was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province in 1927. His grandfather Zhang Jiuru was a famous bamboo carver in the south of the Yangtze River, and his father Zhang Zhongying was a famous antique dealer in Shanghai during the Republic of China. He opened "Juzhen Zhai" on the Bund, specializing in antiques. Mr. Zhang Zongxian went to Hong Kong in 1948 and opened "Yongyuan Bank" in the 1950s . With his legendary experience, he has become a very influential contemporary Chinese art collector and has important influence in the ancient art collection and auction circles in China and the world. Mr. Zhang Zongxian promoted Hong Kong to become a Chinese art trading center in the second half of the 20th century. Mr. Zhang Zongxian has a rich collection. In addition to traditional calligraphy, painting and jade, copper-bodied enamel wares are also an area of ​​collection that he has carefully covered. Under his promotion and influence, collectors at home and abroad have also begun to pay attention to the collection and research of copper-bodied enamel wares in various periods.

Mr. Zhang Zongxian has always cared about and supported the construction of the Shanghai Museum. When he learned that the Shanghai Museum had a small collection of copper-embedded filigree enamel wares, he expressed his intention to donate the treasures he had collected over the years to the Shanghai Museum to enrich the relevant collections.

From 2024-04-25

Cloisonné enamel goblet, gu, Early Ming Dynasty (1368-1435). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. Height 25.5 cm, maximum diameter 14 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

It is imitating the shape of bronze, with a curled mouth, a thin waist, four halberds on the abdomen and ring feet, the mouth and feet are trumpet-shaped, and the copper body is gold-plated. The whole body is covered with light blue enamel glaze as the ground. The neck is decorated with four banana leaf patterns, filled with black purple enamel glaze, filigree camellia, lotus, peony and gardenia flowers, and is decorated with lotus pattern on the outside; the abdomen and feet are pinched Silk peonies, chrysanthemums, camellias, gardenias. The center of the foot is engraved with a cross-shaped pestle pattern.

Gus are popular wine vessels from the Erlitou period to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and are mostly made of bronze. Under the influence of the retro movement in the Song Dynasty, many imitations of Gu appeared, mostly bronze and porcelain. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, cloisonné enamel goblets appeared in the court.

Cloisonné enamel seated Hu figures (pair), Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. The height of each seat is 39.5 cm, the seat height is 7 cm, the maximum length is 20 cm, and the maximum width is 18 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

There are a pair of sitting statues, which resemble squatting figures of Hu people. They have different shapes and are connected with a square seat and a copper tire. The hair and skin of the Hu people's bodies are carved from the copper body. They wear rings on their heads, have round eyes and flat noses, and have beards. One Hu man has his hands on his hips, and the other Hu man is supporting his waist with one hand and holding a gold ingot in the other. The clothes of the Hu people and the square base are covered with blue enamel glaze as the ground, with filigree lotus patterns and entwined flower patterns. The flowers are yellow, white, red, blue, green and other colors, which are complicated but not fancy.

This pair of seated statues has a strong exotic feel and was probably originally furnished in a living room.

Cloisonné enamel square incense burner, Qing Dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. Height 49 cm, longest 36 cm, widest 25 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

The furnace is square in shape, imitating the shape of bronze. The copper body is gilded and mostly filled with blue enamel glaze. It consists of two parts: the lid and the furnace body. The cover is raised, with a wide trapezoidal surface decorated with carved cloud and dragon patterns, and the narrow surface of the trapezoidal surface decorated with carved clouds and phoenixes on the interior. The remaining parts are filigree-wrapped with chrysanthemums and gardenias, and the top of the lid is decorated with hollow cloud-dragon pattern buttons. The furnace body is connected with double standing ears, and the filigree enamel is wrapped with a chrysanthemum pattern; the edge of the mouth is filled with sapphire blue enamel glaze, with filigree chilong patterns and flower patterns; the wide surface of the furnace body has halberds in the center and four corners, and the wide surface and narrow surface are both There is a filigree animal face pattern; the bottom of the furnace is decorated with a pattern of two lions playing with balls; the bottom of the furnace has four Kui-shaped flat feet and a filigree dragon pattern.

The square tripod with flat legs was a popular bronze food vessel from the late Shang Dynasty to the early Western Zhou Dynasty. The most famous flat-legged square tripod in the history of collections is the "Wenwang tripod" included in the "Xuanhe Bogu Tu" of the Song Dynasty, and there are many imitations in later generations.

Cloisonné enamel elephant statues (pair), Qing Dynasty. Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. The height of each seat is 43.5 cm, the seat height is 4 cm, the longest is 33 cm, and the longest is 28 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

There is a pair of elephant statues, erect, with a chelon on the back and a human figure on the back. The two vessels are different, and the copper body is plated with gold. The elephant is white, with a slightly tilted head. The bridle, breastband, and chest straps are glazed with sapphire blue enamel, and are decorated with red enamel-glazed chisel flower buckles. The saddle is in the shape of a Ruyi cloud head, with a lotus pattern on the black ground, and the middle of both sides of the saddle. Each is decorated with the Chinese character "Shou", and the remaining parts are filigree with a lotus pattern on a light blue ground and colorful tassels hanging down. One of the elephant carriers looks like a Buddha, and the other looks like a king of heaven. The Buddha has his hands clasped together, and his robe is filigree with a lotus pattern on the dark blue ground. The king of heaven puts his left hand on his chest, and raises his right hand. The palm is perforated. It was supposed to be holding something, but it is now lost. The armor is filled with Dark blue and green enamel glaze.

White elephant was born out of the white elephant treasure, one of the seven political treasures of Tibetan Buddhism. "Xiang" and "xiang", "riding" and "auspicious" are homophonic. The figure riding an elephant has the meaning of "auspiciousness" and was popular in the Qing Dynasty.

Cloisonné enamel bottle with lotus pattern, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. Height with base 21.5 cm, base height 3 cm, maximum diameter 13 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

It imitates the shape of a bronze pierced-ear pot, with an extravagant mouth, a girdle neck, sloping shoulders, a bulging belly, a rounded foot turned outward, double pierced ears, and a gold-plated copper body. The whole body is covered with blue enamel glaze as the ground, the body of the bottle and the feet are filigree-drawn with lotus patterns, and the two ears are covered with blue-purple enamel glaze as the ground. The filigree-wrapped flower patterns are colorful, with red and yellow colors. , white, blue-purple, etc., the whole device shows the dignified and elegant Qing Dynasty palace style. The four-character regular script inscription "Qianlong Year System" in Yang script is engraved in the center box of the sole of the foot.

Guan'er bottle is a popular bronze wine vessel during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During the Song Dynasty's retro movement, copper, porcelain and other materials were used to imitate ear-piercing vases, and their influence extended to the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the bronze wares collected by the palace were compiled and compiled into a volume called "Four Mirrors of the Western Qing Dynasty" or "Four Mirrors of Qianlong", which became a model for imitating bronze wares with other materials, including cloisonné enamel copper and gold-plated wares.

Cloisonné enamel butterfly screens (pair), Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. Height base 43.5 cm, height screen 31.2 cm, width screen 23.7 cm, maximum width 27 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum.

There is a pair of screens, rectangular in shape, and the screen center, screen frame, and screen base are all made of copper tires. Except for the center of the screen, most of them are filigree with light blue ground lotus pattern, and the middle part of the ribbon ring plate is made of copper-plated hollow lotus pattern. The four sides of the screen are filled with light blue enamel glaze, with filigree geometric brocade flowers and birds. The bottoms are all based on blue and green gradient lake stones. They are: begonia butterfly picture, lotus pond tit picture, white orchid playing butterfly picture, peony butterfly picture, The colors are rich and varied, creating an elegant and elegant atmosphere.

This insert screen is a study utensil that is placed on several desks and used for partitions and viewing.

Cloisonné enamel elephant foot incense burners with flower and bird patterns (pair), Qing Dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795). Gold and silver enamelware/enamel. Height 152 cm, base height 25 cm, maximum diameter 91 cm. Donated by Zhang Zongxian in 2023. © Shanghai Museum

There is a pair of smokers, both of which are identical, with gold-plated copper bodies and placed on wooden bases. The vessel is round and consists of three parts: a cover, a second-layer cover, and a furnace body. The cover is raised and decorated with auspicious clouds and bat patterns. There are three Ruyi-style consecrations between the cloud patterns. The light blue filigree inside the consecration is decorated with lotus patterns. The top of the cover is decorated with hollow cloud-dragon pattern buttons. Under the cover is a two-layer cover. The upper and lower layers of the cover are decorated with carvings of auspicious clouds and bat patterns, and the surroundings are decorated with fretwork. Under the cover is the furnace body. The edge of the furnace body is filled with light blue enamel glaze. The filigree has flowers and birds with "swastika" pattern as the ground. The small pieces are separated by jade bis. Flowers include magnolia, plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, peonies, peonies, hibiscus, lotus, iris, etc. There are also small butterflies flying among the flowers. The filigree on the furnace body is light blue with lotus patterns. Under the incense burner, there are gems inlaid in the shape of a head with three legs.

The main functions of the incense burner are to burn charcoal for heating and to burn incense. The two vessels are majestic and golden, and should have been used by the palace.