Ming Dynasty Yellow‑Ground Sancai Meiping Vase With Lions Playing Ball Motifs,Ming Dynasty

拍品描述

Dimensions: 1.165 feet (35.5 cm) high. Condition and Provenance: The vase is structurally sound, without cracks or hidden fine lines. The small opening shows only slight signs of age, with no chips or dents. The yellow glaze exhibits a patina naturally formed over centuries, with small, dark spots scattered across some areas, reminiscent of ancient burial environments. The polychrome enamel is well-preserved, with no large areas of peeling or flaking. The unglazed foot is covered with a thick layer of natural clay crust and dark sand spots, clearly showing the original wheel-carving marks. The porcelain has not undergone any restoration, glaze repair, later addition of enamel, or recoloring. This piece comes from the private collection of Mr. E.T. of Princeton, New Jersey, USA. He purchased it in 1988 from a renowned Asian antiques gallery in Paris and it has been passed down through two generations of his family. The porcelain has always been carefully stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled, insured private vault. This porcelain piece has never been publicly auctioned, exhibited, or loaned to any museum. Description: This yellow-ground sancai (three-color glaze) plum vase is an important large-scale decorative porcelain piece from the Ming dynasty. It has a short, compact neck, broad, full shoulders, a rounded body, and gradually narrows towards a thick foot rim, giving it a strong and upright overall profile. The neck is decorated with carved banana leaf patterns. The shoulders and main body employ the technique of bas-relief with polychrome enamel, which contrasts beautifully with the vibrant yellow glaze. The relief depicts a lion playing with a ball of embroidered thread, felines leaping and twisting, and flowing ribbons entwining the ball, interspersed with scattered precious ornaments. The raised carvings give the porcelain a strong three-dimensional feel. The colors are rich, primarily yellow, grass green, and eggplant purple, creating a striking contrast. The lower part is decorated with banana leaf patterns and layered wave patterns, with alternating purple and yellow pigments filling the wave outlines, and sharp engravings outlining the lines. The glaze has a soft and antique texture. Sancai porcelain does not use red glaze, which is consistent with the standard of Ming dynasty porcelain. The porcelain body is thick and solid, and the foot ring is trimmed to retain the rough handcrafted characteristics of Ming dynasty porcelain. Obvious wheel marks and clay traces are visible on the bottom.

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