EARLY MING DYNASTY, SECOND HALF 15TH CENTURY

This is a rare example of a temple vase of the period related most closely, perhaps to an example from the Hongwu period in the Avery Brundage Collection and illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, Shogakukan Series, Vol. 14, col. pl. 6 and painted with an underglaze copper red dragon; cf. also a near identical vase in the Shanghai Museum illustrated in Underglaze Blue and Red, col. pl. 35. These are related in turn to Longquan celadon vases of similar form popular especially in the Yuan period. For four different examples, cf. Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, nos. 582-585, these however, do not have dished-mouths; another blue and white example from the 15th centurynow in the Dresden Porcelain Collection but without the loose rings is illustrated by Friedrich Reichel in Keramos, no. 43, January 1969, p. 18, pl. 6. Two different shaped vases of this 'temple vase' group are in The Percival David Foundation, cf. the Illustrated Catalogue of Porcelains Decorated in Underglaze Blue and Copper Red, Section 3, no. 680, for a dated Hongzhi tall vase and a Zhengde marked example, no. A 681.