Description

L.: 18,2 cm - H.: 31 cm

This rare blue and white porcelain ewer with '☰' (heaven) mark belongs to the celebrated group of so-called ‘Magic Fountain’ vessels, among the most imaginative and technically sophisticated wares produced at Jingdezhen during the Jiajing reign. The compressed pear-shaped body with tall curved spout and looped handle derives from Near Eastern metalwork prototypes, reflecting the extensive artistic exchange between China and the Islamic world. Successfully translated into porcelain from the fourteenth century onward, this distinctive form was produced for both domestic and export markets.

The decoration centres on the enigmatic ‘Magic Fountain’ motif: a monumental basin issuing streams of water, supported by a crouching qilin and framed by stylised architectural and flame-like elements. The origin of this imagery has long been debated. In 1952, Sir Percival David connected the design with the legendary mechanical fountain made by the Parisian goldsmith Guillaume Boucher for Möngke Khan at Karakorum in 1254. Later scholars proposed a more immediate European source, suggesting inspiration from Renaissance fountains transmitted to China through prints, paintings, tapestries, or Jesuit networks active in the sixteenth century.

The imagery would also have resonated with the Daoist interests of the Jiajing emperor, whose court was deeply preoccupied with immortality and longevity. In this context, the magical fountain may have symbolised life-giving or eternal qualities, making such vessels particularly appropriate for imperial taste. By the seventeenth century these ewers had become prized export objects, appearing in both Middle Eastern collections and European still-life paintings.

Ref.:
- Christie's London, 15 November 2000, lot 229 for a near-identical silver-mounted example with the '☰' (heaven) mark. (sold GBP 43.475,00) (link)
- Sotheby's London, 5 November 2014, lot 314 for a closely related example. (sold GBP 37.500,00) (link)
- The Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, inv. no. TKS15/173 for a near-identical example.

Literature:
- Sir Percival David, 'The Magic Fountain in Chinese Ceramic Art: An Exercise in Illustrational Interpretation, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities', 1952.
- J. Ayers, R. Krahl, ' Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul. Yuan and Ming Dynasty Porcelains', vol. II, 1986, nos. 1013-1016.
- A. Pope, 'Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine', 1956, pl. 99.
- J. Harrison-Hall, 'Catalogue of Late Yuan and Ming Ceramics in the British Museum', 2001, p. 221, no. 9:10.

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