GRAND VASE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC

The present vase belongs to a group of blue and white and wucai garlic-neck shaped vases dated to the Wanli period where the neck and the body are decorated with slightly varying motifs. A closely related blue and white vase, from the Charles B. Hoyt collection, is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, acc. no. 49.24. Another one with very comparable decoration is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (II), Hong Kong 2000, no. 165, p.176. A number of blue and white vases of the same form with two pairs of dragons contesting 'flaming pearls' are published including an example illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Japan, 1989, no. 745. Another was sold at Christie's London, 28 March 1996, lot 343.