A RARE MING DATED BLUE AND WHITE OVOID JAR, GUAN

Details

A RARE MING DATED BLUE AND WHITE OVOID JAR, GUAN
WANLI PERIOD (1573-1619)

Well painted in vibrant tones of cobalt-blue with four shaped panels enclosing peony and prunus plants growing from rockwork surrounded by butterflies, all conjoined by strapwork borders against a blue-washed wan-diaper ground, with lappet panels around the base and smaller panels of floral sprays around the shoulder, the unglazed base with an inscription and the date Da Ming Wan Li Shi Liu Nian Li, 'Made in the 16th year of Wanli period of the Great Ming dynasty', corresponding to 1588 (hairline crack)
13 3/4 in. (35 cm.) high

Lot Essay

The base of the present jar bears a dedication in honour of a Ming dynasty magistrate, Li Guodong, from his sons and grandsons.

Several jars of this design are known, many of them with variations on the flowers enclosed within the shaped panels, and these include chrysanthemums, camellias, peaches and lotus plants. Cf. the jar illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 14, Japan, 1976, p. 291, no. 282; and another sold in our New York Rooms, 16 October 2001, lot 377.

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