A RARE WUCAI LOBED JAR

WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)

Details

A RARE WUCAI LOBED JAR
WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)
The molded sides are decorated with a continuous walled garden populated with cats variously shown seated on pedestals in front of screens, some peeking from behind screens, or shown alternating with dogs in the foreground, while two further dogs are shown seated and barking at yellow monkeys seen climbing bamboo, all below scrolling clouds and a band of foliate scroll at the rim.
5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm.) wide, Japanese wood box, Japanese lacquer cover

Provenance

Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2007, lot 758.
The Studio of the Clear Garden.

Lot Essay

A Wanli box of similar form is illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall in Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 334, no. 11:153, where the author suggests that the unusual shape is probably based on contemporary boxes made of lacquer or silver. Another box of this form, but with figural decoration, in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, is illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 14, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 263.

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