PROVENANCE: Private (Estate) collections of Jack J. Woo, by inheritance.

Lustrous, Chinese Ming Dynasty Period, Xuande blue & white chryshantemumn motif porcelain jar. The porcelain potted in jar shape, having large and thick potted body, sturdily potted in a bulbous body, ovoid belly on middle, gently tapered on shoulder toward prominent, with short neck straight opening lip, and raised on small round foot base. All reserved in hand painting ornamentations, rendered in clean white under glazed ground color which contrast against the cobalt blue fine color. Blue and white porcelain in Chinese it is called Qing Hua Ci. It is the most important variety of China’s porcelain. It was originated in the Yuan Dynasty. Its color does not easily fade and durability is longer. It used cabaltous oxide as the colorant. Patterns were directly painted onto the inner body and burnt after glaze was applied on it. The main belly adorned with abundant big chryshantemumn flowers blooms interspersed fresh foliage round the jar. The Shoulder and the foot base rim decorated with geometric and auspicious petals, with scrolling interlocking tendril and ruyi clouds on the upper mouth rim. Each section part banded and enclosed with double fine rings. The chrysanthemum is one flower where the color white gives it a positive meaning. White chrysanthemums represent nobility and elegance. They are also thought to attract good luck to the home and represent a life of ease. They are often used for offerings at altars. chrysanthemums are also a favored gift for the elderly as they represent a strong life force. chrysanthemum is a treasured flower in China and is a symbol of joy and a wish for peaceful retirement. A characteristic heaped and piled effect, the under glaze grayish-blue concentrates in certain areas, bubbling through the surface of the glaze and turning a deep blue-black. The underside unglazed, revealed the pale-creme groundand dark grayish brown spotted firing marks and edge-cut foot rim. The porcelain conformed all required specimen to be high valued Chinese porcelain wares, with finest material, the whiteness, the glaze, and the carving. Without overlap the outlines of the design, well carved, clear, subtle, distinct, and the shape is uniformly proportioned. Mark on shoulder, a horizontal six under glazed blue script characters reign mark, XuanDe Reign Period of Great Ming Dynasty.