Monday, March 19, 2007

Blue & White Jar, Ming Dynasty

The fourth and main register represents the Eight Immortals who are either talking with each other or relaxing under a tree probably just after a good drink, with their emblems such as the sword, (associated with Lü Dongbin) and the fan (associated with Zhong Liquan) spread on the foreground. Trees, clouds and shrubs surround them. On the bottom are wave patterns. The shape of this jar and the coloring of the underglaze blue bear much resemblance to a blue and white jar also with the Eight Immortals design dated to the Tianshun reign of the Ming dynasty (1457-1464).

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