Ming Wanli Underglaze‑Blue Red‑Ground Gu‑shaped Vase With Dragon Motifs

拍品描述

Dimensions：H.1.001ft（H.30.5 cm） Condition & Provenance：Intact without cracks or hairlines, only natural age‑related wear on rim and surface, minor wear on edges of flanges, no chips or restorations. Foot rim carries natural soil patina. Base mark is original, no over‑painting or added mark. Private collection of Mr.R·K, San Francisco, California, USA. Acquired at San Francisco Asian antique gallery in 1981, family heirloom, kept in climate‑controlled private storage. Never offered at public auction, no public museum exhibition history. Description：This is an imperial gu‑shaped vase of Wanli reign, Ming dynasty, modelled after ancient bronze gu ritual vessel. Structurally divided into three segments: flared trumpet‑shaped upper neck, bulging mid‑body and splayed tall foot, fitted with green‑glazed vertical flanges. Decorated in underglaze blue against red ground, inner mouth rim painted with blue scrolling flowers. The neck features dynamic dragon winding through floral scrolls with rock and plant background. Mid‑bulb is decorated with dragon amid winding blossoms. Lower foot also displays dragon motif framed by repeating border patterns including scrollwork and lotus petals, flanges filled with green enamel. Six‑character “Da Ming Wan Li Nian Zhi” reign mark in double blue circle on base. Red‑ground blue‑and‑white porcelain was technically demanding to fire in Wanli period and surviving examples are scarce. Monumental in form, richly ornamented with powerful dragon imagery, it represents the bold and sumptuous aesthetic of late‑Ming imperial porcelain, serving as both ceremonial and decorative object.

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