WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)

Details

A RARE BLUE AND WHITE TWO-HANDLED 'DRAGON' CUP
WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)
4 in. (10.2 cm.) across handles

Provenance

Warren E. Cox (1896-1977) Collection, New York, 27 July 1960 (according to label).
Thomas R. Vaughan (1908-1979) Collection, New York, and thence by descent within the family.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Rufus Chen (陳嘉安) Head of Sale, AVP, Specialist

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

The exterior of this rare cup is decorated with two pairs of confronting dragons leaping above rocks and waves, and each holding a pearl enclosing one of the four characters wanshou qitian, forming the phrase ‘wishing you to live ten thousand years of life as long as the heaven’.

A very similar Wanli cup (10.3 cm. across) from the Mineo Hata collection was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 29 October 2024, lot 2035. A slightly smaller example (9.6 cm.) is illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, Mayuyama & Co. Ltd, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 967.

More from Important Chinese Furniture and Works of Art

View All