Fine Asian Art

A BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN STEM BOWL, China, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period (1521-1567)

h cm 10,8 x d cm 14

Supported by a tall, slightly flared, and hollow foot, it is finely painted on the exterior with a continuous scene of sixteen scholars conversing, playing, and reading in various rooms and gardens among trees and clouds. On the interior, where the everted rim features honeycomb motifs, a central medallion depicts a seated figure beneath a tree. The stem is decorated with stylized leaves.

Provenance: private collection, Liguria.

Catalog notes:

A closely related example from the Qing Court Collection, housed in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum – Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), no. 149, p. 160. See also no. 150, p. 161.
For further comparison, see also the pair of stem cups sold at Christie's, live auction 2580, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I, September 13–14, 2012, New York, lot no. 1455.

青花高士纹高足杯，中国，明嘉靖