One of the most important pieces of Yongle blue-and-white porcelain in existence, this superb ewer decorated with a five-clawed dragon was produced for the personal use of the Yongle Emperor during the very pinnacle of the Ming dynasty. Although the five-clawed dragon motif became one of the key designs on Xuande imperial blue-and-white porcelain, it is extremely rare on Yongle porcelain. This ewer graced the cover of the T.Y. Chao auction in 1987, itself one of the most celebrated collections of Chinese art ever to have been presented at Sotheby’s, and has not been seen on the market for almost 40 years.
50 Years New in Asia: The Pinnacle of Imperial Patronage, a Yongle Five-Clawed Dragon Ewer
HONG KONG | 8 APRIL
