A RARE WUCAI SQUARE JAR JIAJING MARK AND PERIOD

the square baluster body rising from a recessed base to a short neck with everted rim, brightly painted and enamelled around the exterior with the bajixiang and lotus strapwork, all between a lotus lappet band at the base and a ruyi collar, the neck with a classic scroll band, silver-inlaid wood stand

There is a circa 3cm hairline crack running from the rim down one corner on the shoulder of the jar. There are some minor shallow glaze flakes to the exterior, including one on the rim and another on the shoulder above the ruyi band, the largest area measuring 0.6x0.2cm. Apart from other minor glaze firing imperfections and surface wear, the jar is in good condition. The silver-inlaid stand is in good order, with some minor loosening to the inlays.
"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."

Jars of this square form were an innovation of the Jiajing period, which required the utmost precision when potting and firing as they were made from a mould. A closely related jar, included in the exhibition Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 72, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th November 1986, lot 213; two were sold in these rooms, the first, from the collection of Stephen D. Winkworth, 25th April 1933, lot 347, and the second, with its matching cover, from the collection of Lord Hollenden, 27th November 1973, lot 297; and a further two jars were sold at Christie’s London, 21st April 1986, lot 412 and 413, the former sold again in these rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 309.

This motif continued to be popular in the succeeding Wanli reign, when it was used on jars of globular shape; see for example a Wanli mark and period jar, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Mingdai guanyao ciqi [Ming imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007, pl. 4-23; and another, from the collection of Kwong Yee Che Tong, included in the exhibition The Fame of Flame. Imperial Wares of the Jiajing and Wanli Periods, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2009, cat. no. 107.