Lot Essay
There are several variations of this pattern either decorated in underglaze-red or in underglaze-blue in public and private collections. The pattern on the present lot is the rarest, with pairs of floral branches within each lobe (rather than single branches on the other group of jars) providing a much fuller and richer overall decorative design with each segment relating easily to the others to give the decoration a greater sense of fluidity.
Compare with three jars of this exact pattern with two flower-sprays within each lobe decorated in underglaze-red: one in the Umezawa Kinekan Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13, p. fig. 85; one in the Shanghai Museum illustrated in Underglaze Blue and Red, fig. 34; the last in the British Museum illustrated by Jenyns, Ming Pottery and Porcelain, pl. 18.
Only one jar in underglaze-blue of this exact pattern is recorded, illustrated in the Chang Foundation special exhibition, Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Catalogue, no. 1.
Jars of this form and pattern but with single branches of flowers in underglaze-red include the example in the Matsuoka Museum of Art illustrated in Selected Masterpieces of Ceramics, fig. 44; and another sold in our London Rooms, 19 June 1967, lot 144 and illustrated by John Ayers, the Baur Collection, vol. II, no. A 136, where the author explains that the various floral panels represent the Four Seasons, repeated three times.
Jars decorated in underglaze-blue with single branches of flowers within each of the twelve lobes include the example sold in Hong Kong, 30 April 1991, lot 9.
Compare also with the jar excavated outside the city gate of Deshengmen, Beijing, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13, p. 209, fig. 198 with single branches of flowers reported to be decorated in a combination of underglaze-red and blue.
Compare also with the copper-red jar in the Tianjin Museum illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua da Cidian, fig. 664, painted with similar borders however the flowering branches on this jar are replaced by the 'Three Friends of Winter' in a continuous landscape around the smooth body.
(US$450,000-580,000)
Compare with three jars of this exact pattern with two flower-sprays within each lobe decorated in underglaze-red: one in the Umezawa Kinekan Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13, p. fig. 85; one in the Shanghai Museum illustrated in Underglaze Blue and Red, fig. 34; the last in the British Museum illustrated by Jenyns, Ming Pottery and Porcelain, pl. 18.
Only one jar in underglaze-blue of this exact pattern is recorded, illustrated in the Chang Foundation special exhibition, Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Catalogue, no. 1.
Jars of this form and pattern but with single branches of flowers in underglaze-red include the example in the Matsuoka Museum of Art illustrated in Selected Masterpieces of Ceramics, fig. 44; and another sold in our London Rooms, 19 June 1967, lot 144 and illustrated by John Ayers, the Baur Collection, vol. II, no. A 136, where the author explains that the various floral panels represent the Four Seasons, repeated three times.
Jars decorated in underglaze-blue with single branches of flowers within each of the twelve lobes include the example sold in Hong Kong, 30 April 1991, lot 9.
Compare also with the jar excavated outside the city gate of Deshengmen, Beijing, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13, p. 209, fig. 198 with single branches of flowers reported to be decorated in a combination of underglaze-red and blue.
Compare also with the copper-red jar in the Tianjin Museum illustrated in Zhongguo Wenwu Jinghua da Cidian, fig. 664, painted with similar borders however the flowering branches on this jar are replaced by the 'Three Friends of Winter' in a continuous landscape around the smooth body.
(US$450,000-580,000)