A blue and white Transitional jar, 17th Century.
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Ovoid jar and cover with underglaze blue decoration, a flat slightly concave base and a tall unglazed neck. Its cover has a flat top and deep straight sides which fit over the neck of the jar. A ring of glaze is wiped free around the neck where the cover meets it and the glaze also stops short of the base. The jar is painted with crackled-ice ground and on either side with leaf-shaped panels. One frames a four-clawed dragon with horns and long whiskers, emerging from mottled clouds, the other a phoenix bird. Between these are single lotus reserved in white. Around the neck is a band of clouds between zigzag lines. In addition there are Buddhist and other auspicious emblems, such as the symbol 'wan', meaning all that is good, and the rhombus. Height with cover 28.5 cm.
Cracks, cover with restored chips.
Exhibitions
Compare with a jar of this type in the British Museum, Museum number 1984,0303.21. Purchased at Christie's, Amsterdam, 14 March 1984, lot 470. From the Hatcher Junk.
Also compare; Christies, sale 20274, lot no 4, Chinese Export Art Featuring Property from the Tibor Collection.
Literature
Harrison-Hall 2001 / Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum (12:70).