Dynasty Blue-and-White Large Covered Jar with Molded and Applied Floral-and-Bird Relief and Beast Finial

拍品描述

Dimensions height 40 cm (approximately 15.75 in); Yuan Dynasty, 13th–14th centuryCondition and Provenance jar is preserved as a complete covered vessel, with the fitted lid, modeled beast finial, applied floral decoration on the cover, and the principal molded and applied floral-and-bird panels remaining intact. The relief work is clearly defined, with minor natural wear visible on some of the highest raised surfaces. The glaze has a soft bluish-white tone and a substantial, mellow surface. The cobalt varies naturally from softer gray-blue to deep indigo, with darker concentrations and slight firing diffusion in heavier passages. Throwing lines and age-related traces remain visible inside. The broad unglazed sanded base retains pronounced trimming and scraping marks together with old earthen deposits, staining, and natural contact wear. From a private collection in California, United States, with a history of family ownership overseas.Description imposing Yuan-style blue-and-white covered jar stands 40 cm, or approximately 15.75 inches, high and combines painted cobalt decoration with extensive molded and applied relief work. The vessel has a straight mouth, short neck, broad rounded shoulders, a full swelling body, and a lower section that gradually narrows toward the broad base. It is fitted with a substantial domed cover crowned by a fully modeled beast finial. The animal sits upright with its head raised, the legs gathered beneath the body and the tail turning behind. The head, ears, muzzle, chest, and body are articulated in relief, giving the top of the vessel an immediate sculptural presence. Below the finial, the cover is decorated with applied scrolling flowers and leaves. Their raised petals, curling stems, and overlapping foliage form a dimensional floral band rather than a flat painted border. This same sculptural language continues across the jar itself. The shoulder and body are organized into a series of large circular, lobed, and petal-shaped panels filled with applied floral and bird decoration. Between the panels, generous areas of clean bluish-white glaze remain exposed, allowing the relief work to stand out sharply from the surface. Large shoulder panels are densely filled with scrolling blossoms and foliage. Individual flowers are built up in layers, while leaves turn in different directions and overlap one another. Cobalt is used to enrich the modeled forms, deepening the centers of flowers, outlining leaves, and creating tonal separation between adjacent elements. Where the pigment gathers along the edges of the applied decoration, it becomes a deep indigo or near-black blue, accentuating the three-dimensional quality of the relief. The principal circular medallion on the body presents a bird-and-flower composition. A phoenix-like or auspicious bird appears among flowering branches, its wings extended and tail feathers opening into the surrounding foliage. The bird is painted and modeled in darker cobalt, making it the visual focus of the roundel. Flowers and leaves surround the bird in a dense but carefully contained arrangement, turning the medallion into a sculptural floral composition rather than a simple painted scene. A fine beaded or dotted blue border defines the edge of the roundel and separates it from the pale glazed ground. Smaller medallions placed to either side contain additional flowering branches, creating a rhythmic progression of large and small relief panels around the vessel. As the jar is rotated, the decoration continues around the body, revealing additional clusters of blossoms, foliage, and smaller motifs. This makes the piece particularly effective when displayed in the round. The areas between the major panels are not left entirely empty. Small auspicious symbols and isolated floral motifs appear against the white ground, providing visual transitions between the dense relief sections. This careful use of open space is one of the strongest aspects of the design. Rather than covering the entire surface, the decorator alternates heavily modeled relief with clean glazed passages, allowing the eye to move comfortably around the vessel.

图片