A rare celadon jade 'chilong' water dropper, Ming dynasty

Nagatani Inc., Chicago, circa 1946.

Collection of Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978).

The present water dropper appears to be inspired by the jade dragon-head-handled cups from the Song dynasty, such as one, similarly carved with a dragon head to one side, and further decorated with two striding dragons, attributed to the Song dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection and now in the Palace Museum Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Jadeware (II), Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 113, together with an octagonal cup, carved with a dragon head handle, pl. 104. Extant Ming dynasty jade water droppers of this type are extremely rare. Compare a cloisonné example, set with a loop handle and a pierced square spout, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society's exhibition and illustrated in 'The Arts of the Ming Dynasty', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1958, pl. 82, fig. 302. See a related early Ming dynasty jade cup of hexagonal form, set with a beast-mask handle, similarly carved with a small clambering chilong on the side, published ibid., pl. 192.