A RARE BLUE AND WHITE LOBED JAR AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING |

the baluster body divided into four lobes and surmounted by a straight neck, painted in rich cobalt-blue tones with peony blooms borne on meandering leafy scrolls above overlapping lappets, all below a band of shaped cartouches each enclosing a shou character amidst lotus scrolls, the neck encircled by a composite floral scroll, the domed cover similarly decorated with fu characters interspersed amongst peony sprays below a quatrefoil cartouche enclosing leafy gourds, surmounted by a finial in the form of a squirrel, the base inscribed with a four-character reign mark

Collection of Lolita Armour Higgason (1896-1976).
Sotheby's Los Angeles, 24th June 1976, lot 624, auctioned at the collector's home, El Mirador, Montecito, California.
Sotheby's Los Angeles, 10th March 1977, lot 1525.
Weisbrod & Dy Ltd, New York, 1977.
Christie's Hong Kong, 20th March 1990, lot 532.

There are expected firing imperfections to the jar and cover, including an approx. 1 cm burst bubble to the inner foot of the jar, and fritting, some with traces of infill and overspray, especially to the edges of the cover, and areas of light polish to the rim and lower neck of the jar. There is also a hairline crack along the finial.
"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."

Freely painted with a peony scroll on the body and auspicious characters on the shoulders and cover, this jar is particularly unusual for its lobed form and its charming cover, with the finial modelled in the form of a squirrel. A fervent patron of Daoist causes and a staunch believer in the magical properties of immortality drugs, the Jiajing Emperor (r. 1522-1566) favoured porcelains that brimmed with auspicious messages, as it protected him against the vicissitudes of nature. This jar is no exception as its shoulders are inscribed with the characters shou (longevity) and fu (blessing). Jars of this form are rare and very few closely related examples are known: a jar with cover from the Jingguantang collection, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1991, pl. 82, was sold at Christie’s New York, 20th March 1997, lot 86; one lacking the cover, in the Huaihaitang collection, was included in the exhibition Enlightening Elegance. Imperial Porcelain of the Mid to Late Ming, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2012, cat. no. 39; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 13th December 1982, lot 488A.