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Saint Louis Art Museum

Ming Dynasty "Incense Burner "

Ming Dynasty "Incense Burner "

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From: Saint Louis Art Museum
Limited Edition: 35
Exhibition: Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty
Material: Printed vinyl
Dimensions: 30" x 84" (76cm x 213cm)

Hanging Hardware Included

Summary

Spanning nearly 300 years, the Ming Dynasty was an enlightened period of refinement in the arts. The exhibition Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty at the Saint Louis Art Museum highlighted those artistic achievements, including a striking incense burner in the shape of a mythical beast. The superior craftsmanship of the incense burner's enamel inlay and gilding signal its use both as a practical and decorative object. The work is featured to full effect on 35 banners from the show.

Description

Featuring a stunning array of Ming Dynasty masterpieces, the exhibition Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty gave viewers a chance to see the true wealth, power, and pageantry of Ming rulers. Artists at the time generally followed court-dictated styles and became known for their large-scale scenes of landscapes, fauna and flora, and figurative narratives. Ming rulers favored art that glorified their image and conveyed the rulers’ kindness, generosity, and virtue.

This banner features a copper alloy incense burner in the shape of a mythical beast from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing. The burner was produced during the Wanli period (1573–1619) and was likely produced in a factory under the direction of the imperial court. The gilding and polychrome enamel inlays are the work of a superior metalsmith using the cloisonné technique. To achieve the beautiful decorative spirals on the burner, the metalsmith carefully outlined each one using a thin gold wire, essentially creating different compartments. The interior of each compartment was then filled using multi-colored enamels which were heated, cooled, and the process repeated until the desired results were achieved.

The work sits on a mustard yellow background with rust red text above it that reads "February 22 - Mar 17, 2009", and a black band below it with the museum's name in white lettering, "Saint Louis Art Museum". Both sides of the banner are identical.

Provenance

These banners were displayed around Saint Louis from February 22 through May 17, 2009 to promote the exhibition Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The exhibition was also seen at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

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