Page 295 - Christies Fine Chinese Works of Art March 2016 New York

1577 The separate compartmented tray contained within box appears to be
exceptionally rare and would indicate that this may have been used as a
A RARE SMALL WUCAI CIRCULAR BOX AND COVER container for food or possibly cosmetics. Much larger boxes with petal-lobed
WANLI PERIOD (1573-1619) compartments dividing the interior are widely published. A box and cover
in the collection of the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo is illustrated in In
The top of the domed cover is decorated with a central lotus sprig Pursuit of the Dragon - Traditions and Transitions in Ming Ceramics, Seattle
above lotus scroll on the sides, which is repeated on the deep sides Art Museum, Seattle, 1988, p. 131, no. 64, which also illustrates a blue and
of the box. An original inner tray, inscribed on the base with a white box of the same form p. 130, no. 63. Another wucai box of similar form
Wanli six-character mark within a double circle, is divided into four is in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, illustrated in Imperial
sections, each decorated with a fower spray, and the center with a Overglaze-Enamelled Wares in the Late Ming Dynasty, Museum of Oriental
fower head, all below a band of classic scroll on the everted rim. The Ceramics, Osaka, 1995, p. 23, no. 30. Compare, also, with a very rare Wanli-
recessed base of the box has an effaced mark within a double-line marked wucai incense burner with a separate liner inscribed with the Wanli
border in underglaze blue. reign mark, sold at Christie’s New York, 21 March 2002, lot 173. The bottom
section of a very similar wucai box to the present example was sold together
3 in. (8 cm.) high, Japanese wood box with a wucai dish at Christie’s New York, 3 December 1992, lot 278.

$40,000-60,000 明萬曆 五彩纏枝蓮紋蓋盒 雙圈六字楷書款

PROVENANCE

Hirano Kotoken, Osaka.

EXHIBITED

Hirano Kotoken, Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Kokura, 17 to
22 October 1979, no. 60.

(mark on inner tray)

(another view)

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