A WUCAI 'BAJIXIANG AND LOTUS' JAR MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING |

of square baluster form surmounted by an upright neck, the exterior painted with eight lotus blossoms borne on a meandering leafy scroll, each lotus beneath one of the bajixiang emblems, all between a ruyi-border at the shoulders and lappets encircling the foot, the neck collared by a key-fret border, the recessed base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double-square, wood stand

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19th November 1986, lot 213.

Chinese Porcelain in the S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 72.

Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 4: Ming Official Wares, Taipei, 1991, p. 204 (bottom).

The jar is in good overall condition with light wear and flakes to the enamels as well as shallow foot chips. There is a faint approx. 5 cm hairline crack to the rim. There are expected firing imperfections, including fritting along the rim and a bodyline to the foot.
"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 decorated with such vibrant designs were an innovation of the Jiajing period that displays the creative freedom enjoyed by potters active in this period. The colourful wucai palette, allowed potters to create increasingly complex and colourful motifs, as cobalt blue was used for colouring and not only for delineating outlines as in the doucai (‘dove-tailed colours’) colour scheme. While Jiajing potters did not develop completely new colours or decorative techniques, they creatively expanded the range of styles and colour schemes to create bolder designs.

Compare three jars of this type sold in our London rooms, the first, from the collection of Stephen D. Winkworth, 25th April 1933, lot 347, the second with cover, from the collection of Lord Hollenden, 27th November 1973, lot 297, and the third of slightly larger size, from the Joseph M. Morpurgo collection, 11th May 2016, lot 171; two jars sold at Christie’s London, 21st April 1986, lots 412 and 413, the former sold again in our London rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 309; and a further example sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 5th/6th September 1997, lot 1051.

This motif continued to be popular in the succeeding Wanli reign (r. 1573-1620), when it was used on jars of globular shape; see for example a Wanli mark and period jar in the Shanghai Museum, 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.