AN UNUSUAL BLUE AND WHITE 'FIVE DRAGON' BRUSHREST MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI

modelled as five five-clawed dragons, carved and reticulated depicting their scaly bodies writhing amid cloud swirls and above jagged rockwork, the base modelled as a stand decorated with a scrolling design, painted overall in vivid tones of deep cobalt-blue, the base inscribed with the horizontal six-character mark within a double rectangle

There are glaze chips through this piece as well as some minor chips to the horns of the central dragon. There is a 0.5cm chip on the foot; the foot has possibly been polished.
"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."

Similar examples are found in the Baur Collection and the Rijksmuseum and are respectively illustrated John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1999, vol. 1, pl. 76; and in Christiaan Jörg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collections of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam: The Mind and Qing Dynasties, Amsterdam, 1998, pl. 23. 

Also compare a rare wucai polychrome example in the same form with five dragons from the Edward T. Chow Collection, sold in these rooms 25th November 1980, lot 33 and again 29th October 2001, lot 502.  Another example can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in black and white in Yasuhiko Mayuyama, Chûgoku bunbutsu kenbun, Tokyo, 1973, pl. 32, which could represent either a polychrome or a blue and white example.