During the latter part of the Ming Dynasty, Chinese society underwent dramatic changes. The three emperors of this period: Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli, were in constant power struggles with the bureaucratic class led by the scholar officials. Theoretically the Emperor wielded supreme power but they were alone in their battles against the massed numbers of officials, and each side claimed victories in the numerous conflicts that ensued. After countless demotions, court floggings and executions, there were some notable outcomes: the Jiajing Emperor turned his attention in search of longe ity, elixir making, and stopped court audiences for a duration of over 20 years of his reign; the Longqing Emperor, in his pursuit of carnal pleasures died prematurely after six years on the throne; while the Wanli Emperor, after a prolonged dispute with his courtiers regarding the choice of his heir, also stopped court audiences for a lengthy period of 28 years. These three emperors all had a great start in their reigns, in particular the Wanli Emperor, whose first chief minister Zhang Juzheng ushered in a period of prosperity unrivalled by any of his predecessors in the dynasty. These early achievements could be glimpsed by the three fine imperial works of art offered in the present sale – lot 8101 is an early Jiajing blue and white bowl with a fine body and lustrous glaze, the delicate painting recalls that of the Chenghua porcelain; lot 8102 is a large Longqingmarked blue and white dragon basin, and the epitome of the Longqing kiln, with powerfully painted dragons and intense cobalt blue reminiscent of the Xuande period; lot 8103 is a Wanli-marked cinnabar lacquer ‘dragon’ brush, a rare example of imperial scholar’s object, exemplifying the best work from the Imperial lacquer workshop at the time. Lot 8104, the fan painting by Qiu Ying and lot 8105 the long scroll depicting The Everlasting Regret by You Qiu, are two fine examples of court-style paintings of the period.

Lot 8101. A very rare blue and white ‘dragon and phoenix’ shallow bowl, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1522-1566) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8102. An exceedingly rare massive blue and white ‘dragon’ basin, Longqing six-character mark in a line in underglaze blue and of the period (1567-1572) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8103. A rare carved cinnabar lacquer ‘dragon’ brush and cover, Wanli incised and gilt six-character mark and of the period (1573-1619) © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8104. Qiu Ying (Attributed to 1495-1552), A Clear and Quiet Day. Folding fan, ink and colour on gold paper, 19 x 52.5 cm. (7 ½ x 20 5/8 in.). Signed, with two seals of the artist. Two collectors’ seals: one of Shao Mi (ca. 1594-1642) and one of Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799). Poem in running script by Emperor Qianlong on the reverse, signed, with three seals © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8105. You Qiu (ca  1525-1580), Garden Wayfaring in Spring, details. Handscroll, ink on paper, 32.5 x 275.5 cm. (12 ¾ x 108 ½ in.) Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist. Dated spring, fifteenth day, second month, jimao year of the Wanli period (1579). Long colophon by Yu Yunwen (1512-1579), signed © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The absence of the emperor caused many problems but it did not cause the collapse of the dynasty owing to the massive bureaucratic mechanism that kept the country running. On the contrary, the decline of imperial control meant that the economy was free to develop more organically, and society became much more diversified contributing to the emergence of a golden period in which cultural activities flourished. The ‘School of Mind’ promulgated by Wang Shouren freed the literati class from the shackles of the ‘School of Principles’, a school of thought which by that time had been dominant for five hundred years. The ‘School of Mind’ led to an inward exploration of thoughts and a new aesthetic that emphasised unadulterated self-expression. Lot 8110 is a letter written by Wang discussing the ‘School of Mind’. Rarely appearing on the market, his handwriting is a clear proof of the philosophical transformation taking place amongst the literati during this period. Driven by their frustration of life in officialdom, while at the same time immersed in unprecedented material wealth, the literati in the Jiangnan region devoted most of their energy and creativity in painting, calligraphy and poetry. These artists, led by Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming and their contemporaries such as Zhu Yunming (lot 8106), as well as their successors, such as Lan Ying (lot 8116) and Chen Hongshou (lot 8115), became the tastemakers of the day. Chen Hongshou in particular was deeply influenced by the ‘School of Mind’ and created works of great individuality and unique style. The handscroll (Lot 8115) is a very rare example of flower painting by him, and it is very interesting to compare his style to that of Shen Zhou’s painting of a similar subject-matter (lot 8108). The literati in the Jiangnan area also influenced the design and making of objects in their daily lives, especially furniture in the scholar’s studio, preferring elegant lines and proportions. Lot 8109 the huanghuali painting table and lot 8111 the huanghuali chair are two such examples produced by the workshops in Suzhou. Their elegant proportions and graceful lines are typical of the literati style, very different to the pair of huanghuali compound cabinets from the Beijing workshops, lot 8113, which are notable for their generous use of material, square form and impressive size.

Lot 8110. Wang Shouren 1472-1528), Correspondence. Album of twelve leaves, ink on paper. Each leaf measures 28 x 17.5 cm. (11 x 6 7/8 in.). Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist. Nine collectors’ seals. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8106. Zhu Yunming (1460-1526), Poems in running-cursive script, (details). Album of twenty leaves, ink on paper. Each leaf measures 28.9 x 15.2 cm. (11 ¡ x 6 in.) Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist. Dedicated to cousin Zhao. Dated bingzi year (1516). One collector’s seal © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8116. Lan Ying (1585-After 1664), Gathering in a Pavilion (detail). Hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk, 198 x 49.5 cm. (78 x 19 ½ in.) Inscribed and signed, with four seals of the artist. One collector’s seal of Ha Lin (1856-1936). Titleslip by Ha Lin, signed with two seals. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8115. Chen Hongshou (1598-1652), Flowers (detail). Handscroll, ink and light colour on paper, 26.8 x 1220 cm. (10 Ω x 480 in.) Signed, with two seals of the artist. Followed by an inscription by the artist, dated seventh month of the renchen year (1652), with two seals. Fourteen collectors’ seals, including two of Jiang Tingxi (1669-1732), three of Dai Guangzeng (18th-19th Century), two of Lin Zexu (1785-1850), and six of Zhou Xingyi (1833-1904). © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8108. Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Flowers of the Four Seasons (detail). Handscroll, ink on paper. Painting: 28.6 x 263 cm. (11 º x 103 Ω in.) Calligraphy: 28.6 x 457 cm. (11 º x 180 in.) With one seal of the artist and one collector’s seal of Wang Xiaxuan (19th Century) followed by a long poetic inscription by the artist, entitled ‘Persuading Guests to Imbibe under the Shade of Flowers’, signed, with one seal of the artist and one collector’s seal of Wang Xiaxuan. Two damaged seal marks at the beginning of the scroll. Frontispiece by Gui Changshi (1574-1645), signed with two seals With a fitted wooden box, inside cover inscribed by Nagao Ko (1864-1942), signed with one seal. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8109. A very rare burlwood-inlaid huanghuali high-waist painting table, huazhuo, Late Ming dynasty © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8111. An exceptionally rare huanghuali lowback armchair,meiguiyi, Late Ming-Early Qing dynasty. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

Lot 8113. A magnificent and massive pair of huanghuali compound cabinets and hat chests, sijiangui, Late Ming dynasty © Christie's Images Ltd 2017 

The promulgation of the ‘School of Mind’ and the buoyant market economy helped to remove the boundaries between literati-artists and artisans that have existed for thousands of years. Many artisans began signing names on their works, while their social status began to rise. Names like Hu Wenming, the renowned bronze maker (lot 8117), and He Chaozong, master of porcelain sculpture (lot 8120), were celebrated names, their works inspiring countless imitations. The cultural developments in this period were multifarious, and whether in painting, calligraphy or other works of art there were many notable achievements, surpassing the Western Renaissance of the same period. It could be suggested that the latter Ming period was indeed a golden period in China’s cultural history.

Lot 8117. A rare parcel-gilt bronze censer, gui, Ming dyansty, 16th-17th century, Yunjian Hu Wenming zhi seal mark © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

lot 8120. An exceptionally large and rare Dehua figure of Guanyin, Ming dynasty, 16th-early 17th century, He Chaozong impressed seal mark © Christie's Images Ltd 2017