tankard en porcelaine bleu blanc, danbaguan Chine, dynastie Ming, marque et époque Xuande (1426-1435)

la panse globulaire surmontée d'un col cylindrique et agrémentée d'une anse se terminant en ruyi, le pourtour délicatement décoré de fleurs de lotus et pivoines dans des rinceaux feuillagés, une frise de pétales autour du col, à l'épaulement et autour de la base, marque à six caractères Xuande à l'avant du vase 

Some hairline crackles in the glaze radiating around the base, original to the piece, a 1 cm hairline in the glaze on one side of the handle near the knob, another horizontal hairline in the glaze 2 cm, in the frieze of petals above left of the mark, otherwise in good condition. The actual tone of the blue is a fraction less purple, more cobalt than the illustration would suggest in the catalogue.
"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."

An undecorated monochrome white tankard of this form, of the early Yongle stratum, is published in the exhibition catalogue Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1989, cat.no. 11, where unmarked Yongle blue-and-white examples from the kiln site are also mentioned, and where it is stated that this tankard form, which was made from the early Yongle until the Xuande period was adjusted in the Xuande reign, when the knob on the handle was moved higher up, and the proportions, including the belly, the fluting on the neck and the recessed centre of the base, were expanded. The white Yongle piece is published again together with a strongly crazed and misfired blue-and-white example of Xuande mark and period from the Xuande stratum in Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, cat. nos 90 and 138.

For several examples of Xuande mark and period in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the Palace Museum , Beijing, see Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, no. 11; Catalogue of a Special Exhibition of Hsuan-te Period Porcelain, Taipei, 1980, no. 23; Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci, Beijing, 2002, vol. 1, pl. 94; and The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White and Underglazed Red (I), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 121. One in the Shanghai Museum is published in Lu Minghua, Mingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2007, pl.3-27, where several West Asian metal and jade tankards of the 15^th century, but with dragon handles, are illustrated for comparison, p. 111.

A similar tankard from the collection of Mrs. Rachel Wright Segelin was sold in our London rooms 20^th February 1968, lot 88, and again in our Hong Kong rooms 14^th November 1989, lot 21; one from the J. M. Hu Family collection, sold in our New York rooms 4^th June 1985, lot 2, is now in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chineses Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994, vol. 2, no. 674; one from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. R.H.R. Palmer was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 17^th May 1988, lot 22. Compare also another tankard of this form but with a different design, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30 October 2002, lot 283.