AN INCISED WHITE-GLAZED 'DRAGON' JAR JIAJING MARK AND PERIOD |

the ovoid body with rounded broad shoulders tapering to a recessed base, incised with a collar of ruyi around the short neck, a pair of sinuous dragons writhing amidst clouds and flames, a row of lappets at the foot, covered overall in a milky-white glaze, the base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, wood stand and box (6)

Collection of María Marcela Roca Funes, Baronesa de Marchi della Costa (1877-1981), acquired as a gift from a minister of China in Japan, 1910 (by repute).

Overall in good condition, with minor expected light scratches and firing imperfections.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A similar jar was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 20th May 1987, lot 434, and another, also in our Hong Kong rooms, 15th November 1988, lot 155. A Jiajing mark and period jar with similar carving but under a blue glaze was included in the exhibition Ming Porcelain, China Institute in America, New York, 1970, cat. no. 51. Compare a Jiajing mark and period jar from the Huaihaitang Collection with white glaze and incised decoration similar to that of the present example except with phoenixes instead of dragons, illustrated in Enlightening Elegance: Imperial Porcelain of the mid to late Ming, the Huahaitang Collection, The Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2013, cat. no. 15. Consider an earlier prototype, a white-glazed jar incised with dragons amongst clouds from the Yongle period, excavated at Jingdezhen and illustrated in Yuan and Ming Imperial Porcelains Unearthed from Jingdezhen, Yan-Huang Art Museum, Beijing, 1999, cat. no. 95.