A rare blue and white porcelain ewer made for the Islamic market, China, Ming Dynasty, Yongle period, 1403-1424 AD, with Ottoman Tombak Mounts, 17th/18th Century

of pyriform form with a bulbous base and tapering neck supported on a narrow ring foot, the sloping shoulder with serpentine handle and spout with attached foliate bracket, the spout and neck terminating in a domed and arcaded tombak mount with detachable cover and chain, the porcelain body decorated in underglaze cobalt blue reserved on white with two large lotus palmettes issuing scrolling tendrils with split and full palmette buds, the neck decorated with an arcade of cloudband clips, the underbelly with a register of overlapping leaves, the spout and handle with foliate scrolls and floral sprays

Exposition Doha, capitale culturelle arabe 2010, Ambassade du Qatar à Paris, du 5 au 9 juin 2010

minor surface scratches, breaks to spout bracket with associated repair, minor dents and patination to tombak mounts which possibly cover a break, as viewed
"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."

Yongle period ewers of this type are extant in various museums and private collections worldwide. The present example is particularly unusual for its decoration incorporating a large-bloomed lotus scroll amid leaves painted on either side of the vessel. The motif to the base of the ewer, comprising a register of upright leaves, is also rare, making this piece a unique example amongst this well-known group of early fifteenth-century ceramics.

A comparable early-fifteenth-century Ming dynasty ewer with Ottoman mounts is in the Topkapi Saray Museum (see Roxburgh 2005, pp.310-11, no.273). The distinctive pear-shaped form with bracketed spout is also seen in three early-fifteenth-century Ming ewers that were in the Ardebil shrine, now in the National Museum in Tehran (see Pope 1981, pl.54). A similar pattern of monumental lotuses and palmette tendrils can also be found on an early-fifthteenth-century vase and bowl from the Ardebil shrine (ibid. pls.49, 51).  

For further examples of early-fifteenth-century Chinese blue and white ewers in the Topkapi Saray Museum, see R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol.II, London, 1986, pp.519-520, nos.617-621, colour plates pp.425-27.