A BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' CENSER AND COVER WANLI MARK AND PERIOD

the body of rectangular section supported on four angular legs and flanked by upright handles, each concave face painted in bright cobalt-blue tones with two confronting dragons in pursuit of a flaming pearl amidst cloud wisps, all above foaming and cresting waves at the feet, the flattened rim and the handles with a keyfret band, the base with a six-character Wanli mark within a double rectangle, the stepped cover painted with the Eight Trigrams divided by flame-like scrolls below waves crashing on rocks and surmounted by a reclining qilin

Both handles were lost and replaced with extensive restoration and associated overspray around it measuring max 11cm wide. One leg has been broken off and restored with visible areas of repainting and overspray. There is a circa 17cm crack running diagonally across the base and the Wanli mark concealed with extensive overspray. The cover has minor 2cm cracks along the qilin feet, a 0.3 x 0.2cm chip to the qilin tail and extensive fritting along the edges. Other minor glaze firing imperfections include burst glaze bubbles, iron spots etc.
"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."

Although Wanli censers of this form complete with a cover are rare, a closely related example in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, bk. VI, Hong Kong, 1963, pl. 9. A censer of this type, but lacking its cover, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), Shanghai, 2000, pl. 177.

Censers of similar form, but flanked with lion mask handles and dragons on the lower register of the body and a reticulated dragon surmounting the cover, include one sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8^th April 2007, lot 524; and another sold in these rooms, 4^th November 2009, lot 68.