A RARE WUCAI 'DRAGON' JARWanli six-character mark and of the periodThe slightlypressed globular body vibrantly decorated with two five-clawed dragons writhing amidst clouds and flaming pearls, enamelled in either yellow, green, blue or iron-red, between narrow borders of stylisedruyi-lappet, with a band of foliate scroll above the foot, gilt-silver cover, wood stand and Japanese wood box, the cover of the wood box inscribedQianye Jia, Dazheng shinian rucang, meaning 'Asano Family, acquired in the tenth year of Taisho period (1921)'.14.5cm (5 3/4in) diam. (4).Provenance: 明萬曆 五彩龍紋香罐青花「大明萬曆年製」楷書款Provenance:Tokyo Art ClubOgawa Co., Ltd.來源：東京美術俱樂部Ogawa古美術The present lot displays the pinnacle of achievement of the Jingdezhen kilns in the Wanli period, as demonstrated in the brilliance of the wucai enamels as well as the extraordinary rendering of the powerful five-clawed dragons. Most of the Wanli porcelain are misshapen or warped from firing, while the present lot is perfectly balanced in overall form and decoration. Wanli Imperial wares painted in attractive, brilliant wucai enamels were highly sought after in incense and tea cultures, particularly in Japan since the Edo period.Three other Wanli-marked wucai jars of similar size and shape are in important museums and private collections: the first in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, acc.no.:K1B005954N000000000PAB; the second in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Shanghai bowuguan cangpin yanjiu daxi: Mingdai guanyao ciqi [Ming Imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007, p.172, pl.3-103; and the third in the Chang Foundation, included in Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl.107. See also a related water container from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated inplete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, no.42.此壺圓口內斂，豐肩圓腹飽滿外鼓，平底凹足，足內青花雙圈豎兩排楷書款，書「大明萬曆年製」六字。器身飾青花五彩雙龍戲珠紋，神態威武生動，身姿矯健輕盈；其一以青花繪龍身，礬紅勾鬚髮，再用黑彩分填出遍佈龍身的鱗片，另一則正好相反，紅身青髯，形成強烈的對比，頗具視覺衝擊力；雙龍所戲之寶珠施黃彩，周圍用礬紅描繪噴出的火焰，明艷光亮、引人入勝；龍與寶珠之間滿佈綠彩卷草枝葉紋，連綿纏繞、生生不息。而枝上各處又點綴起不同色調的西番蓮紋，有的繪青花，有的施礬紅，有的表現為黃紅相間，艷麗多姿。足邊同樣以青花五彩繪出茂盛的枝葉卷草，上承如意頭紋。本器出色的五彩紋飾及比例恰當的造型，&#...