Page 8 - Studio of the Clear Garden Chinese ceramics NYC Mar 2018

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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¬ in. (14.3 cm.) wide, Japanese wood box, Japanese lacquer cover
$30,000-50,000
(mark)
PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2007, lot 758.
The Studio of the Clear Garden.

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 fgural
decoration, in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, is illustrated in Sekai Toji
Zenshu, vol. 14, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 263.
明萬曆 五彩庭園貓犬圖小罐 雙圈六字楷書款

(another view)

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