MING DYNASTY, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

A larger white jar (44.9 cm. high) of similar shape to the current jar was excavated from the Xuande strata of the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen in 1983, and is illustrated in Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1989, pp. 212-3, no. 65. A similarly sized blue and white excavated jar is illustrated pp. 268-9, no. 93, in the same volume. Like the current example, the excavated white jar bears no mark. The excavated jars have the same globular form with wide, rounded shoulders, as the current example. The mouth form of these two vessels, however, differ. The excavated jars have a straight mouth to fit the flanged lids that were found with them. The current jar has a protruding rounded lip on the outer edge of its mouth. It may be that this jar was intended as a storage jar for, perhaps, fine wine, and would have needed a closely-fitting stopper, which could have been securely tied in place with cloth and a cord fastened under the lip.