A RARE BLUE-GLAZED MEIPING EARLY MING DYNASTY |

sturdily potted with full rounded shoulders rising at a gently flaring angle from the base and sweeping to a short waisted neck with a lipped rim, the exterior applied evenly with an intense cobalt-blue glaze, the base left unglazed to reveal scattered iron spots, Japanese wood box

There are several restorations to the body and rim (showing under UV) as well as some expected light surface scratches, but overall this elegant vase remains in excellent presentation state.
"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."

Covered overall in a vibrant cobalt blue, this piece belongs to a rare group of meiping that illustrate one of the first attempts at creating a monochrome blue glaze in the Ming dynasty. Vessels of this type were expensive to produce as they required copious amounts of cobalt, a rare and expensive commodity that needed to be imported from Iran. Each vase was dipped, possibly more than once, into a glaze mix containing cobalt oxide in order to achieve the distinctive dark blue tone seen on the present piece. A meiping of this type, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is published in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 146; one in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, is illustrated in The 15th Anniversary Catalogue, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 180, no. 764; and a third, from the Gulbenkian Museum, Durham,  was sold at Christie's New York, 21st September 2000, lot 296. A further example in Japan is illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu / Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 14, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 155.