Antique Chinese Blue & White Ginger Jar – Late 19th/Early 20th Century

Details

Description

Beautiful antique Chinese blue-and-white ginger jar, dating to the late 19th to very early 20th century. The jar has a … Read more Beautiful antique Chinese blue-and-white ginger jar, dating to the late 19th to very early 20th century. The jar has a wonderfully substantial, hand-crafted form with rich cobalt-blue decoration arranged in bands of scrolling, floral and geometric motifs against a warm white ground.

The piece was hand-thrown on a potter’s wheel, with no molded seam, and retains the irregularities that make early handmade ceramics so appealing. Visible potter and brush marks, variations in the blue decoration, and small imperfections in the pottery are evidence of its hand-crafted construction.

Of particular interest is an official inspection/customs-style seal stamped at the unglazed collar near the rim. If the mark has been positively identified as the Jian Ding stamp associated with the pre-1911 period, it provides an important dating clue and would place the jar before the end of the Qing dynasty. Because these marks can require specialist authentication, I would describe the dating this way rather than state the stamp as independently authenticated.

The interior is fully glazed, indicating that the vessel was functional as well as decorative. The original lid is no longer present.

Details:
• Chinese blue-and-white ginger/storage jar
• Late 19th to early 20th century
• Hand-thrown construction with no visible mold seams
• Hand-painted cobalt-blue decoration
• Official-style stamped mark at the unglazed collar
• Fully glazed interior
• Approximately 8” tall × 8” diameter
• Opening measures approximately 3.25” diameter
• No lid
• No chips or cracks

Excellent antique condition with expected variations, firing imperfections, brush marks and signs of age consistent with a handmade piece of this period.

A striking piece of antique Chinese pottery with wonderful scale, surface character and presence—beautiful displayed on its own or incorporated into a collection of early blue-and-white ceramics. See less