AN EXTREMELY RARE SMALL BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF XUANDE

of finely potted small squat form, painted in vivid tones of pale cobalt-blue on the exterior with two winged scaly dragons in mutual pursuit, flying through cloud scrolls above stormy crested waves, below a formal foliate band on the shoulder, all between a double band on the short upright neck and a single band at the foot, the base recessed with the six-character mark further recessed in the centre within a double circle

Christie's London, 14/16th December 1983, lot 407.

There is a 0.4cm firing line on the mouthrim. There is a small horizontal Y-shape starcrack of approx 1cm to the interior of the shoulder, but does not go through the exterior. Minor fritting on the rim have been polished down slightly. Otherwise the jar is in excellent condition overall. The colours are slightly softer than the illustration suggests.
"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 Xuande jar is very rare for its elegant shape and small size.  See two jars of this design but with more rounded body and with a Chenghua reign mark inside the stepped foot: the first from the Sedgwick collection, sold in our London rooms, 2nd July 1968, lot 128, discussed by Margaret Medley, 'Re-Grouping Fifteenth Century Blue and White', T.O.C.S., 1962-3, vol. 34, pl. 11, and now in the Rockefeller collection, illustrated in Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, New York, 1981, p. 77 top right; the second jar from the collection of Sam Browne, sold in our London rooms, 23rd May 1972, lot 126, included in the Kau Chi Society exhibition Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Hong Kong, 1981, cat.no. 70, and offered in this sale, lot 2932. 

Compare also a slightly earlier Yongle jar of similar size and painting but with a depressed globular shape, from the T.Y. Chao collection and included in the Hong Kong O.C.S. exhibition Chinese Blue and White Porcelain, City Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong, 1975, cat.no. 16, and in the exhibition Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat.no. 13, sold in these rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 227.