A MING BLUE AND WHITE DRAGON BOWL

CHENGHUA SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1465 - 1487)

Details

A MING BLUE AND WHITE DRAGON BOWL
chenghua six-character mark and of the period (1465 - 1487)
With deep rounded sides rising to a flaring rim, the exterior with two five-clawed dragons on blue ground striding after flaming pearls amidst cloud and fire-scrolls above petals around the base, the centre of the interior painted with a stylised dragon motif below a band of classic scroll around the rim, repaired
6 in. (17 cm.) diam.

Lot Essay

It is very rare to find bowls, such as the present example, with decoration reserved on an underglaze blue ground, because of the technical difficulties associated with this particular design. A comparable bowl with dragons reserved on underglaze red was exhibited, A Legacy of Chenghua, Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology and the Tsui Muesum of Art, 1993, Catalogue, no.B23, pp.134 and 135. Possibly, the areas reserved in white would have been subsequently gilt-decorated.

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