Details
A WHITE JADE DRAGON-HANDLED CUP
MING DYNASTY

The cup with plain sides and a circular slightly flared foot, the two handles carved as sinuous kui dragons, each with long wing scrolls and bifurcated tails, incised to the body with flaming scrolls, the stone of even tone with very pale russet brown inclusions and a fine polish (minute polished chip to tail)
5 5/8in. (15cm.) wide, stand, box
Exhibited
San Antonio Museum of Art, 1986
The Dayton Art Institute, 1989, no. 237

Lot Essay

A well-known similar white jade dragon-handled cup dated Yuan-Ming dynasty from the collection of the Musee Guimet, Paris, was included in the exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the Ages and illustrated in Transactions of the Oriental Society, 1973-75, no. 326. Ayers and Rawson note that cups of this form first appeared in Yingqing porcelain of the late Song-Yuan dynasty and remained popular thoughout the Ming dynasty. A cup dated to the early Qing dynasty is illustrated by Yang Boda in the Gu Yao Kao, no. 115.



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