Ming Wanli Mark Blue‑and‑White Wucai Cloud‑Dragon Plum‑Blossom Form Covered Box, Ming Dynasty Wanli Period

拍品描述

Measurements: Overall height 15cm (5.91 inches), maximum diameter 15cm (5.91 inches), late 16th‑17th century Ming dynasty wucai porcelainCondition & Provenance: Original lid and body are perfectly matched as one complete set. The porcelain body is intact without cracks or large chips. Minor age‑related wear appears at the junction of glaze and raw clay around mouth rim and foot ring. The overglaze enamel colors are well‑preserved with only tiny scattered age‑related enamel flaking, no later repainting, restoration or polishing. The under‑glaze blue six‑character “Da Ming Wan Li Nian Zhi” base mark is fully legible. This piece descended from an old Chinese family collection, later handled by an Asian antiques gallery in Toronto, and now resides in a private Ming‑style porcelain collection in New York City, New York, USA. California, New York and Texas are leading global market hubs for Ming and Qing Chinese porcelain.Description: This magnificent wucai covered box dates to the Wanli reign of the late Ming dynasty, representing fine late‑Ming porcelain both for display and practical storage. It is shaped as a five‑petal plum blossom with segmented lobed sides, topped by a jewel‑shaped finial on the lid, and fits tightly with original female‑male joint rim construction. The exterior surfaces of both lid and body are lavishly painted with cloud‑dragon motifs in combined underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze wucai enamels. Cobalt blue outlines dragon figures and cloud borders, while iron‑red, grass‑green and pale‑yellow enamels fill dragon scales, flaming pearls and scrolling cloud patterns. Multiple powerful five‑clawed dragons soar amidst flame and cloud scrolls with dynamic manes and imposing posture. The composition is dense and exuberant, perfectly embodying the bold, ornate decorative aesthetic favored during the Wanli era. A classic key‑fret border runs along the lid rim with rich contrasting red‑green‑blue color palette. Within the plum‑blossom shaped foot ring on the base sits the six‑character Wanli reign mark in underglaze blue within double circles, rendered in period‑authentic calligraphic style. The interior is coated in pale celadon glaze bearing subtle traces of age‑old usage. Complete original‑lid plum‑blossom wucai boxes from Wanli period are quite scarce on today’s market. It combines practical storage function and decorative display value, showcasing Jingdezhen’s exceptional wucai firing technology of late Ming. This museum‑level treasure carries significant ceramic‑history research importance.

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