A SMALL BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI

of compressed globular form, the rounded sides rising from a recessed base to a short tapering neck, brightly decorated in deep shades of cobalt with two five-clawed dragons striding in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', with wide open jaws, a shaggy mane, and a sinuous scaly body issuing flames, all between two borders of ruyi at the foot and shoulder, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark arranged in three lines within a double ring

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 722.

There is a small Y-shape restored star crack at the rim and a minor shallow flake to the unglazed footring.
"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."

Wanli jars of this small size are extremely rare, but a companion jar from the Songde Tang collection was included in the exhibition The Fame of Flame. Imperial Wares of the Jiajing and Wanli Periods, University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2009, cat. no. 51.

A similar small jar of Wanli mark and period, decorated with a dragon reserved in white on a blue ground, was sold in these rooms, 24th November 1987, lot 37. A polychrome jar with two dragons in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 41; and a small polychrome jar of similar shape and size, painted with a lotus scroll, is in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Shanghai Bowuguan zangpin yanjiu daxi/Studies of the Shanghai Museum Collections : A Series of Monographs. Mingdai guanyao ciqi [Ming imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007, pl. 1-91.