LARGE BLUE AND WHITE 'MYTHICAL BEASTS' JAR MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY 明 青花瑞獸紋大罐 sturdily potted on a gently concave base, rising to broad shoulders and inverted mouth, painted around the body with a continuous scene of four mythical beasts with slender billowing flames in flight amongst auspicious clouds above a band of undulating waves crashing onto three-pointed rocky hills, a ruyi lappet border decorated the shoulders (30.5cm diameter ) Qty: (1) Provenance: Private Scottish collection, North Berwick, has been collecting Asian ceramics for 25 years. Acquired from Solveig and Anita Gray Oriental Ceramics and Works of Art Gallery, London, on 8 August 1996. With an original receipt no. 561, dated this piece to Ming dynasty, mid-16th century. Note: Compare to a similar but more liberated decoration of mythical beasts in flight amongst flames, clouds, and splashes of water, above crashing waves and rocky hills, painted on a blue and white bottle vase, dated to the Ming dynasty, possibly Wanli period, ca. 1573-1620, in the collection of the British Museum, museum no. Franks.747