A massive wucai 'dragon and phoenix' vase, fanggu, Mark and period of Wanli | 明萬曆　五彩穿花龍鳳凸獸面方觚　《大明萬曆年製》款

A Japanese private collection, acquired in November 1920, according to the box inscription.

Auction catalogue of an anonymous collection, Osaka Art Club, 17th April 1939, lot 106.

A Japanese private collection.

Kochukyo Co., Ltd, Tokyo.

Gosai [Wucai], Okada Museum of Art, Hakone, 2023, exh. no. 7 (unillustrated).

Finely painted in rich underglaze blue and bright enamels, this vase is notable for its magnificent size and rare for its dragon and phoenix motifs. Compare a blue and white example with similar for and design, sold in these rooms, 29th October 1991, lot 37. Compare also highly related examples decorated with dragons only: one in the Hakutsuru Art Museum, Kobe, is illustrated in Hakutsuru bijutsukan zohin zuroku [Collection in the Hakutsuru Fine Art Museum], Kyoto, 1988, pl. 129; another in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, is published in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 742; and a third vase was sold at Christie’s London, 14th December 1983, lot 479.

Vases of this type with Wanli marks and of the period are also known painted in underglaze blue, such as one from the Grandidier collection in the Musée Guimet, Paris, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 7, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 81; and a pair from the collection of John Love, sold at Christie’s London, 24th May 1927, lot 215.

來源

日本私人收藏，入藏於1920年11月，據桐箱題識

《某家所蔵品入札目録》，大阪美術俱樂部，大阪，1939年4月17日，編號106

日本私人收藏

壺中居，東京

展覽

《五彩》，岡田美術館，箱根，2023年，展覽編號7（沒載圖）

此件大瓶以濃郁青花與明艷彩料繪就，器形高大，龍鳳紋飾組合尤為珍罕。相似龍鳳紋似乎只見於青花，參考香港蘇富比售出一件明萬曆青花遊龍戲鳳紋長頸方觚，1991年10月29日，編號37。可資比對的龍紋相近作品包括：神戶白鶴美術館藏一例，見《白鶴美術館藏品圖錄》，京都，1988年，圖版129；東京出光美術館藏一例，見《出光美術館藏中國陶瓷》，東京，1987年，圖版742；以及1983年12月14日倫敦佳士得售出一例，編號479。

萬曆本朝帶款同類器皿亦見青花品種，如巴黎吉美博物館藏格朗迪迪爾舊藏一例，見《Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections》，卷7，東京，1981年，圖版81）；另見約翰·洛夫舊藏一對，曾於1927年5月24日倫敦佳士得售出，編號215。