A LARGE WHITE-GLAZED INCISED LOTUS JAR AND COVER MING DYNASTY, 15TH CENTURY

of broad ovoid form with a clear luting line around its widest part, the rounded sides rising from a thick rounded footring and concave base to a high shoulder and a short tapered neck, surmounted by a domed cover with a slightly everted rim and a raised roundel at the top supporting a pointed knop, faintly incised around the body with a large-scale lotus scroll between two borders of petal lappets collaring the neck and skirting the foot, the jar and cover applied overall with a thick transparent glaze, save for the base left unglazed and fired to a yellowish-white tone with bright orange specks

Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 31st October 1995, lot 360.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1633.

The rim of the jar is broken and restored with some re spray on approx. 38 cm. of the rim, and with an associated S-shape crack extending onto the body on one side (approx. 25 cm.). There is another V-shape crack above the shoulder on the opposite side (approx.13 cm.). There are burst air bubbles and imperfections in the glaze around the body, some iron spots and scattered firing impurities on the cover. There is a chip restored to the rim of the cover with re spray on approx. 15 cm. of the rim. The actual colour is slightly more tinged with blue than the catalogue illustration.
"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."

It is highly unusual to find a large white jar of this date with an incised lotus design. A larger undecorated jar and cover, recovered from the Xuande stratum (AD 1426-35) of the Ming imperial kiln site, is published in Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1989, cat. no. 65.