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Lot Essay
A Jiajing-marked fish jar of this massive size was sold in these rooms, 16 October 2001, lot 375, and was illustrated by A. du Boulay in Christie's Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramcis, New Jersey, 1984, p. 132, no. 2. Another is illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, London, 1986, vol. II, p. 668, no. 1062. See, also, a closely related jar 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'. However, it is also possible that these large discs could represent either solar or lunar discs. In view of the fact that the sun represents the primary male principle, yang, with which the Jiajing emperor was greatly preoccupied, it seems probable that the reference is to the sun. Similar borders can also be seen on another similarly marked jar of the same shape, but smaller size (48.5 cm. diameter), decorated around the sides with playful buddhistic lions separated by brocade balls trailing long, meandering ribbons, which was excavated from a tomb at Hongpailou, Chengdu city, Sichuan province, and is illustrated by Zhang Bai in Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China, vol. 10, Beijing, 2007, no. 182.
A massive Jiajing-marked blue and white jar decorated with two dragons chasing pearls amidst cruciform clouds, and with bands of lotus petals encircling the mouth and base, was found placed in front of the altar in the Dingling tomb of the Wanli emperor (d. 1620), as seen illustrated in The Imperial Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, Ding Ling, Beijing, 1990, no. 89. This dragon jar is discussed by Yue Nan & Tang Zhi in The Dead Suffered Too, The Excavation of a Ming Tomb, Beijing, 1996, p. 156, where the authors note that it had been filled with sesame oil, on the surface of which was placed a bronze ladle with a wick. As the wick had been burned, it has been suggested the lamp had been lit at the time of burial, to serve as an "everlasting light." This magnificent vessel was displayed at Christie's New York, in March-April 2000, as part of the exhibition, Treasures from Ancient Beijing, jointly presented by Christie's Education and the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau, as exhibit 18.
Most large fish bowls of this period, decorated with dragons, are low and broad without the lappet borders, rather than the present deep, drum shape. The large size of all these fish jars made them particularly difficult to manufacture. See R.L. Hobson, The Wares of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1923, pp. 19 and 110, where it is mentioned that this type of ware required up to nine days to fire, and that the low rate of success often drove the imperial potters to despair.
This vessel is exceedingly rare since the powerful five-clawed imperial dragons are depicted in a lotus pond. Dragons are usually shown amongst clouds or waves, or occasionally floral scrolls. To depict imperial dragons amongst growing lotus is very unusual, and it seems that this iconography may be linked to the Jiajing emperor's desperate desire for sons. One of the words for lotus is lian, which is a homophone for another word meaning 'continuous' or 'successive.' In turn, this is associated with the continuous birth of sons. The lotus is also seen as heralding the birth of sons because it is one of the few plants in which the seed pod is already visible when the flower begins to open. The ordering of such a large vessel would certainly have been significant, since pieces of this size had to be fired in special kilns and were exorbitantly expensive to make. The grandeur of this jar, and the choice of decorative motifs, suggest that it may have been ordered specially by an emperor who was greatly concerned to ensure that he would be succeeded by a suitable heir.
A massive Jiajing-marked blue and white jar decorated with two dragons chasing pearls amidst cruciform clouds, and with bands of lotus petals encircling the mouth and base, was found placed in front of the altar in the Dingling tomb of the Wanli emperor (d. 1620), as seen illustrated in The Imperial Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, Ding Ling, Beijing, 1990, no. 89. This dragon jar is discussed by Yue Nan & Tang Zhi in The Dead Suffered Too, The Excavation of a Ming Tomb, Beijing, 1996, p. 156, where the authors note that it had been filled with sesame oil, on the surface of which was placed a bronze ladle with a wick. As the wick had been burned, it has been suggested the lamp had been lit at the time of burial, to serve as an "everlasting light." This magnificent vessel was displayed at Christie's New York, in March-April 2000, as part of the exhibition, Treasures from Ancient Beijing, jointly presented by Christie's Education and the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau, as exhibit 18.
Most large fish bowls of this period, decorated with dragons, are low and broad without the lappet borders, rather than the present deep, drum shape. The large size of all these fish jars made them particularly difficult to manufacture. See R.L. Hobson, The Wares of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1923, pp. 19 and 110, where it is mentioned that this type of ware required up to nine days to fire, and that the low rate of success often drove the imperial potters to despair.
This vessel is exceedingly rare since the powerful five-clawed imperial dragons are depicted in a lotus pond. Dragons are usually shown amongst clouds or waves, or occasionally floral scrolls. To depict imperial dragons amongst growing lotus is very unusual, and it seems that this iconography may be linked to the Jiajing emperor's desperate desire for sons. One of the words for lotus is lian, which is a homophone for another word meaning 'continuous' or 'successive.' In turn, this is associated with the continuous birth of sons. The lotus is also seen as heralding the birth of sons because it is one of the few plants in which the seed pod is already visible when the flower begins to open. The ordering of such a large vessel would certainly have been significant, since pieces of this size had to be fired in special kilns and were exorbitantly expensive to make. The grandeur of this jar, and the choice of decorative motifs, suggest that it may have been ordered specially by an emperor who was greatly concerned to ensure that he would be succeeded by a suitable heir.