A Massive Blue and White Porcelain Fish Bowl
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A Massive Blue and White Porcelain Fish Bowl

JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE IN A LINE WITHIN A RECTANGLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)

Details
A Massive Blue and White Porcelain Fish Bowl
Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue in a line within a rectangle and of the period (1522-1566)
The heavily potted, deep drum-shaped body painted in brilliant tones of underglaze blue with two five-clawed dragons striding around the sides in pursuit of flaming pearls between petal-lappet borders, all below a narrow band of classic scroll, the nianhao written in a line within a horizontal rectangular panel pendent from the upper lappet border
28in. (71.1cm.) diam., 23in. (58.4cm.) high, revolving stand
Provenance
Christie's, New York, 6 November 1980, lot 328.
Literature
A. du Boulay, Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, New Jersey, 1984, p. 132, no. 2.
Special notice
On occasion, Christie’s has a direct financial interest in lots consigned for sale. This interest may include guaranteeing a minimum price to the consignor which is secured solely by consigned property. This is such a lot.

Lot Essay

A similar fish bowl of this rare massive size is illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. II, London, 1986, p. 668, no. 1062. See, also, a closely related fish bowl of this shape and size, decorated with phoenixes instead of dragons between similar decorative borders, now in the Kunstindustrimuseet, Copenhagen, illustrated by D. Lion-Goldschmidt, Ming Porcelain, New York, 1978, p. 173, pl. 154 and 154a (detail), where the author describes the discs centering each petal lappet as 'suggesting the studs holding the skin of a drum'. This massive size and shape continued into the Wanli period, as can be seen in a photograph of the middle chamber of the Emperor Wanli's tomb near Beijing, which includes three fish bowls of this shape and size decorated with dragons, but of Wanli date, illustrated by J. Fontein and R. Hempel in the catalogue for the exhibition, China. Korea. Japan, Propyläen Verlag, Berlin, 1968, pl. 213.

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