A RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL 'FIVE POISONS' PANEL

Qianlong

Footnotes

清乾隆 銅胎掐絲琺瑯「張天師斬五毒」掛屏

Provenance: Sir Herbert (1867-1933) and Lady Dering (1875-1955)
an English private collection

來源：Herbert(1867-1933)爵士和Dering(1875-1955)女爵舊藏
英格蘭私人收藏

The figure depicted in the present lot is Zhang Tianshi, also known as Zhang Daoling 張道陵, credited with founding the Way of the Celestial Master sect of Daoism. Legend has it that Zhang Tianshi possessed great supernatural powers. He could dispel poisons, ward off disasters, and eradicate plagues. In folk traditions, it is a common practice to display an image of Zhang Tianshi fighting off the five poisons during the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off evil spirits, ensure safety, and protect households.

The structure of the frame indicates that the piece was mounted for use as a table screen and compares closely to two related examples in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum Enamels, vol. III, Beijing, 2011, nos.140 and 141.

The diamond ground patterns derives from textiles of the Ming period and coloured examples and may be found on other cloisonné enamel vessels, including, Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, no. 99, p.174. In fact the five poisons were traditionally worn as protective charms, see a brocade with tiger, poisonous creatures and paddy design, in National Palace Museum accession number 001410N000000000.

The playful depiction of the theme of the 'five poisons' in the in the present artwork, with subtle references its textile derivation, is also referenced in a painted enamel box illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum Enamels, vol. V, Beijing, 2011, no.98.

Compare with a similar 'five poisons' cloisonné enamel rectangular panel, Qianlong period, which was sold at Christie's New York, 29 March 2006, lot 304.