Provenance
Jorge Welsh Works of Art, Lisbon/London, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2006 and accompanied by a copy of their documentation folder (see added scan)
Exhibited:
TEFAF Maastricht, Jorge Welsh Works of Art, 2006.
Description
Modelled in two sections, rising from a hexagonal base to a five-tiered tower with pierced windows and gently upturned roofs. Painted in underglaze cobalt blue with stylised brickwork and vertical bands imitating roof tiles.
Porcelain pagoda models are among the more unusual forms produced at Jingdezhen during the late Ming period and may have served as incense burners or ornamental objects. Their architectural form reflects the enduring fascination with Buddhist sacred architecture and demonstrates the technical skill of late Ming porcelain production.
Reference:
A near-identical example with Mayuya-Ma & Co. Ltd., from the Tominaga Satoru Collection, exhibited at the 1939 Shina Bijutsu Daitenrankai (Grand Exhibition of Chinese Art), Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Osaka, sold in 2023.
Robert McPherson Antiques, stock no. 26235 for a near-identical part of the top section. (link)
Mashiko Kawahara, 'Ko-sometsuke', fig. 120, for a bell tower-shaped example.
A smaller example with comparable base, described as pagoda-form jar and cover was sold by Christie's in their 14 December 2023 sale, lot no. 620.
Lot 22
Wanli
Dim: 10,1 x 8,7 x 17,3 cm
Estimation
€ 25.000,00 – € 50.000,00
Provenance
Jorge Welsh Works of Art, Lisbon/London, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2006 and accompanied by a copy of their documentation folder (see added scan)
Exhibited:
TEFAF Maastricht, Jorge Welsh Works of Art, 2006.