Page 232 - Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art II

VARIOUS PROPERTIES
2371
A LARGE BLUE AND WHITE ‘THREE FRIENDS
OF WINTER’ JAR
JIAJING SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE
BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1522-1566)

The heavily potted jar is decorated around
the sides with a pine tree, a prunus tree and
bamboo (the ‘Three Friends of Winter’),
growing amidst lingzhi, their trunks twisted
to form stylized auspicious characters, fu, lu
and shou, all below a linked ruyi border and
detached ruyi clouds on the short neck. The
reign mark is painted on the recessed center
of the base.
13Ω in. (34.3 cm.) high, 16 in. (40.7 cm.)
diam., Japanese wood box

$150,000-250,000

The decoration on this jar, pine, prunus and
bamboo, known as the ‘The Three Friends
of Winter’, or simply ‘The Three Friends’,
symbolizes the strength, purity and uprightness
of the cultivated gentleman, and is often found
on porcelain throughout the Ming and Qing
dynasties. Fu lu shou, which has an auspicious
meaning (good fortune, wealth, longevity), also
refers to the Three Star Gods, Happiness, Rank,
and Longevity.

Two related Jiajing-marked jars from the Alfred
Clark Collection, though of more slender form,
painted with the ‘Three Friends of Winter’
forming fu and shou characters, were sold at
Christie’s London, 7 June 1993, lot 49.

明嘉靖
青花「福祿壽」歲寒三友紋大罐
六字楷書款

(mark)

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