A RARE BLUE AND WHITE PORTUGUESE MARKET BOTTLE VASE MING DYNASTY, WANLI PERIOD, CIRCA 1590-1610

the square body rising from a flat base to a rounded shoulder and short narrow waisted neck, painted to the exterior of each face in rich cobalt-blue tones with the arms of the Portuguese 'Vilas Boas e Faria' with an eagle crest, all above flowers issuing from rockwork, the shoulder with four quatrefoil panels enclosing floral sprays and reserved on a dense diaper ground   

Christie's London, 10th November 1983, lot 103.

This very rare bottle vase is in good condition overall with the exception of a 2.5cm., wide chip to the rim and associated chipping and loss to most of the mouth rim, two vertical hairline firing lines running vertically up two edges (16 and 19cm., long) with some minor associated glaze flakes, minor fritting to the lower edges of the sides and around the rim, five small glaze blisters around the body, minor glaze firing imperfections and glaze scratches. It should be noted that the cobalt-blue is of a far stronger and richer tone than the catalogue illustration would suggest.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present bottle is modelled following a European glass shape, known also from European stoneware and faience. Such bottles would have been fitted with a pewter screw top, which was indicated by painted horizontal lines on the neck. These bottles were used mainly for spirits and were designed to be stored in wooden boxes for easy transportation, especially on ships.

For a very similar example, see Nuno de Castro, Chinese Porcelain and the Heraldry of the Empire, Barcelos, 1988, p. 30, where Alvaro Vilas-Boas is described as 'Knight of the Royal Household, Commander of the Order of St. James of the Sword, of the Command of the Fleets of India, where he went on 18 occasions'. See also one illustrated by Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, fig. 11:10; one included in the exhibition The Porcelain Route. Ming and Qing Dynasties, Fundacao Oriente, Lisbon, cat. no. 13; and another sold in these rooms, 12^th November 1996, lot 130.