Page 84 - Bonhams May 11th 2017 London Fine Chinese Art
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Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing
The dynamic forms of the coiling five-clawed dragons with their sharp Wanli-era wucai pieces attracted particularly high valuations in Japan
powerful claws, as well as the lithe floral scrolls, all reveal the superb where they were used at tea ceremony utensils and handed down
artistry, elegance and quality of Imperial Wanli porcelain at its best. in former daimyo and aristocratic families. A related wucai zun vase,
with dragon and phoenix design, in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics,
Compare with a very similar wucai ‘dragon’ vase, Wanli six-character Osaka, is illustrated in A Jiajing and Wanli Exhibition, Tokyo, 2016, fig.6.
mark and of the period, from the Qing court collection and illustrated
in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: The form of the present vase is rare amongst wucai vases of the Wanli
Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, 2007, Hong Kong, period, which are more typically of partial square or faceted form. See,
p.36, no.33. however, a smaller wucai gu vase, Wanli mark and of the period, of
related design, which was sold at Christie’s Paris, 7 June 2011, lot 240.
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