明十六世紀 青花雲龍紋葫蘆瓶

deftly painted with three five-clawed dragons soaring sinuously amidst flames and lingzhi-shaped clouds above crashing waves, one around the upper bulb and two on the lower, interrupted by two composite petal lappet bands encircling the constricted waist, all between a border of pendent plantain leaves at the mouth and upright petal panels skirting the foot

The vase is lopsided, somewhat sagging to one side. There is an approx. 5.7 cm stabilized hairline crack running from the rim, alongside other restored areas along the rim. There are expected light scratches and minor firing imperfections to the surface as well as kiln grits to the unglazed base.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This robustly potted vase is notable for its dynamic painting of scaly five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls above crashing waves, a motif that is seldom found on vases of this form. Compare a double-gourd vase of similar form but with a slightly broader neck, decorated with figures in a landscape, from the Reitlinger collection and now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, illustrated in Soame Jenyns, Ming Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1988, pl. 31; another in the National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, published in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 3, Tokyo, 1982, col. pl. 32; and a larger example sold in our London rooms, 16th March 1954, lot 81. See also a smaller Jiajing mark and period vase of double-gourd shape, painted on the lower bulb with a dragon and phoenix, in the Huaihaitang collection, included in the exhibition Enlightening Elegance. Imperial Porcelain of the Mid to Late Ming, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2013, cat. no. 19.