AN UNUSUAL PARCEL-GILT CAST-BRONZE 'SHOU' JAR LATE MING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

of archaic pou form, the rounded sides supported on a low splayed foot rising to a short neck with squared everted rim, decorated in relief and gilt with one hundred and twenty-eight different shou characters, all against a finely punched ground, the shoulders set with a pair of ring handles supporting taotie masks, below a wave band around the neck and a wan-fret band at the rim, the zitan wood domed cover pierced and carved with a pair of bats and two shou characters against a ground of cloud scrolls, rising to a carved carnelian agate lingzhi knop, the zitan wood stand with five cabriole feet (3)

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2006, lot 1154.

There is some wear to the gilding, but the piece is in overall good condition.
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.

The decoration known as baishou zi (one hundred long-life characters) has traditionally been a popular decorative birthday motif in China. The characters are written in different forms with some adhering more closely to conventional seal script than others. Another version of this design is the wanshou zi (ten-thousand long-life characters), such as that decorating the magnificent blue-and-white jar in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition China. The Three Emperors, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 302, where the character 'long-life' is inscribed in ten-thousand different ways. Whether one hundred or ten-thousand, both versions of the design signify eternal life.