WANLI PERIOD (1573-1619)

Details

A VERY RARE BLUE AND WHITE WATER SPRINKLER
WANLI PERIOD (1573-1619)
The globular body raised on a waisted pedestal foot and decorated with three lions playing with ribbon-tied brocade balls below bands of pendent lappets, and a molded flower head centered by a small knob in imitation of a circular cover, with six arched tubes painted with diaper patterns rising from the shoulder to the sides of the cup-shaped sprinkler pierced on top with a central and six surrounding apertures
8 5/8 in. (21.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Sotheby's, New York, 7 December 1983, lot 299.

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Lot Essay

Two blue and white sprinklers of this extremely rare form, one of which is also decorated with three buddhistic lions playing with ribbon-tied brocade balls, are illustrated by R. Krahl in Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. II, London, 1986, p. 658, nos. 1021-2, where they are dated mid-16th century. Another example, decorated with lions at play, is in the Victoria and Albert Museum and illustrated by R.L. Hobson, Chinese Pottery and Porcelain, vol. II, New York, 1976, pl. 68, fig. 1. According to Krahl, ibid., p. 658, "a test done with [the Victoria and Albert Museum bottle] showed, that it pours in a slow and steady stream (making a gurgling sound while being filled)."

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