Blue and White Covered Jar with Auspicious Fruit and Floral Scroll Decoration, Marked “Da Ming Chenghua Nian Zhi” (Ming Dynasty, Chenghua Period, 1465–1487)

拍品描述

Dimensions: Overall height 16 cm (approximately 6.30 inches, 0.52 feet); body diameter 14 cm (approximately 5.51 inches, 0.46 feet); 15th century, Ming Dynasty, Chenghua periodCondition & Provenance: The jar is preserved complete with its fitted jewel-finial cover. The cover seats properly on the mouth, with no obvious major chips, cracks, or losses visible. Minor firing characteristics and light signs of age and handling are present. Overall in good condition. Private collection, New York.Description: This finely proportioned covered jar is composed of a rounded vessel and a fitted domed cover surmounted by a jewel-shaped finial. The body rises from a shallow foot through a full, gently rounded belly and broad shoulders to a short upright neck, creating a compact and particularly well-balanced silhouette. The porcelain body is covered with a smooth, luminous white glaze that provides a crisp ground for the cobalt-blue decoration. The domed cover is painted with vigorously rolling waves, while the rounded finial is accented with scrolling blue motifs. Around the shoulder is a continuous band of stylized ruyi and wave-inspired forms that creates a strong decorative transition into the principal register. The body is freely painted with the classic “lotus bouquet” composition, incorporating lotus blossoms, seedpods, leaves, and gracefully intertwined aquatic stems. The brushwork ranges from fluid linear outlines to richly saturated passages of cobalt, with occasional darker concentrations adding depth and visual movement to the design. A continuous band of rolling waves encircles the lower body, visually echoing the decoration of the cover and giving the composition a unified top-to-bottom rhythm. The lotus bouquet is among the most recognizable decorative themes in the history of Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, admired for both its elegant botanical character and its auspicious associations with purity and refinement. The recessed base is enclosed by a neatly finished foot and bears a six-character “Da Ming Chenghua Nian Zhi” mark in underglaze blue within a double circle. With its rounded profile, fitted jewel-finial cover, richly painted cobalt decoration, and balanced arrangement of lotus and wave motifs, the jar has the strong visual presence of a refined Ming-period display vessel while retaining the practical form of a covered storage jar.

图片