A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'MAGIC FOUNTAIN' EWER Four-character Fu Shou Kang Ning mark, JiajingA RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'MAGIC FOUNTAIN' EWERFour-character Fu Shou Kang Ning mark, JiajingOf pear-shape with a long waisted neck below a galleried rim, painted in vivid tones of blue on each side of the body with an elaborate water fountain supported on a mythical qilin, the neck with upright plantain leaves, applied with an elegantly curved spout and arched strap-handle further decorated with floral scrolls. 32cm (12 1/2in) high.明嘉靖 青花噴泉麒麟紋執壺青花「福壽康寧」楷書款Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏The Jiajing emperor is known to have been concerned with Immortality, hence many decorative motifs during his reign were associated with longevity. The precise meaning and origins of these fountains are unclear, but the motif appears to evoke the wish of extending life, or living forever. This theme is carried on by the mark on the base reading 'fu shou kang ning', which can be translated as 'wealth, long life, health and peace', implying almost that to drink from this ewer would extend one's own life and good fortune.These ewers also found their way to Europe where they were appreciated for their exoticism. An oil painting in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, by Willem Kalf, circa 1660, depicts a still life with a very similar blue and white ewer with the same motif (acc.no.1981.77).A related blue and white ewer with similar motif, Xuande six-character mark, 16th century, is illustrated by J.Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, London, 1981, pl.99. Another similar blue and white ewer with the same motif is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc.no.C.105-1928).Compare with a related blue and white ewer with similar motif, Jiajing, which was sold at Bonhams London, 7 November 2019, lot 90.is_parse: 20230413image: yuzhan_bonhams_item.jpgsold_price_type: £