Page 293 - 2019 September 13th Christie's New York Important Chinese Works of Art

1064
A WUCAI ‘ZHONG KUI’ DISH
WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE
WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)
The dish is decorated on the interior with a scene of the Daoist
immortal Zhong Kui, the Demon Queller, holding a sword in his
right hand while pulling the hair of a small, angry demon beside
him, below a band of continuous double-gourd scroll in the well.
The exterior is decorated with the Eight Buddhist Emblems above
lotus sprigs, and a band of classic scroll encircling the foot.
8¿ in. (20.7 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box
$25,000-35,000

Wanli dishes of this design are more commonly found in blue and
white, and are very rare in wucai. Compare two blue and white
dishes with Wanli marks that are similarly decorated with fgural
scenes as well as the unusual band of double-gourd scroll in the
well, the depiction of the bajixiang on the exterior and the band
of classic scroll on the foot, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming
Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pp. 319, nos. II:117
and II:118. Discussing no. II:117, the author notes that the dish
“illustrates Ming openness to the unity of both Buddhist and
Daoist iconography on a single object,” which is also true of the
present dish.
明萬曆 五彩鐘馗捉鬼圖盤 雙圈六字楷書款
(reverse)