A SMALL PAIR OF WHITE-GLAZED RETICULATED CUPS

Details

A SMALL PAIR OF WHITE-GLAZED RETICULATED CUPS
WANLI

The deep sides pierced with a frieze of five chrysanthemum blossoms centered by a cash motif and reserved on a ground of wan diaper interrupted near the reticulated upper border with five small roundels, each enclosing a character, all below an everted rim and above a band of carved chrysanthemum petals, covered inside and out with a white glaze (one with small restored rim chip)
3 5/8in. (9.2cm.) diam., stands and box (2)

Provenance

Nagatani, December, 1959
Stephen Junkunc, III

Lot Essay

For a bowl, probably with character roundels, see Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. LXVII, no. lB. A related example with floral medallions, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. F. Brodie Lodge, was exhibited in Monochrome Porcelain of the Ming and Manchu Dynasties, O.C.S., London, October 27-December 18, 1948, Catalogue, no. 105. See, also, the cup from the Walters Collection, illustrated by S.W. Bushell, Oriental Ceramic Art, New York, 1980, (republished from an 1896 edition), p. 268, fig. 322

The characters in the roundels read, You tien yong you yu (there is a heaven which has abundance)