Wanli Period, Ming Dynasty, 16th Century, Wucai Beaker‑Shaped Gu Vase with Dragon‑among‑Peony Motifs, six‑character “Da Ming Wan‑Li Nian Zhi” reign mark within double blue circles on base

拍品描述

Dimensions：Height 43.6 cm (17.17 in) Condition & Provenance：Fully intact. Rich saturated wucai enamels with natural inherited patina. Old private collection, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Acquired from Europe in 1951, passed down within family, no prior auction history. Sand‑textured foot‑ring base. Description：This is a large imperial‑ware wucai gu beaker vase of the Wanli reign, modelled after archaic bronze ritual gu vessel. It has wide flared mouth, tall neck, bulbous mid‑section and high splayed foot, with four vertical flanges projecting along the body. The inner mouth rim is painted with scrolling peonies. Outer mouth rim features dragons amid blossoms. The neck is decorated with dynamic dragons chasing pearls among cloud scrolls. The bulbous main body displays powerful dragons winding through luxuriant peony blooms and foliage. The tall foot is adorned with scrolling peonies and auspicious‑treasure motifs. Vibrant red, green and yellow enamels create a dense, exuberant composition characteristic of late‑Ming wucai aesthetic. A six‑character “Da Ming Wan‑Li Nian Zhi” mark is inscribed within double blue circles at base centre. The porcelain body is thick and robust, with natural age‑related wear on the sandy base. Large Wanli wucai gu beaker vases with dragon‑peony decoration are extremely rare. Monumental in scale and complete in decoration, it represents a major late‑Ming imperial display porcelain.

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