WANLI (1573-1619)

Details

A Chinese late Ming blue and white 'kraak porselein' kendi
Wanli (1573-1619)
The globular body surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck flaring towards a star-shaped mouthrim, the slender spout bending at the end and applied with branch-like supports, the body lobed into six panels, painted with floral designs, below a key-fret border at the shoulder, the neck painted with birds perched on flowering branches, minor restoration, two hairline cracks, chip to spout
17 cm. high

Special notice

Christie’s charges a premium to the buyer on the Hammer Price of each lot sold at the following rates: 29.75% of the Hammer Price of each lot up to and including €20,000, plus 23.8% of the Hammer Price between €20,001 and €800.000, plus 14.28% of any amount in excess of €800.000. Buyer’s premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.

Lot Essay

The popular name for these kendi's is 'pomegranate ewer' because of their star-shaped mouth rim. A very similar ewer in the Groninger Museum, Groningen is illustrated by Maura Rinaldi in Kraak Porcelain, London, 1989, p. 177, Pl. 225, where the author suggest a dating of circa 1600-1610.
A similar kendi was sold in our London Rooms, King Street, 8 November 2005, lot 18.

More from European Furniture, Clocks, Sculpture and Works of Art

View All