Rare kendi en porcelaine bleu blanc. Chine, dynastie Ming, époque Wanli (1573-1620). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

En forme de grenouille assise sur ses pattes arrières et en appui sur ses pattes avant, la bouche formant bec verseur, les yeux globuleux, le corps tâcheté rehaussé de petites fleurs, une frise de ruyi sur son dos entourant la base du haut col cylindrique, ce dernier orné d'un oiseau perché sur une branche de prunus en fleur ; un fêle, petites sautes d'email au col. Hauteur: 19 cm. (7½ in.) - Est. €25,000 - €35,000 Price Realized €43,000

Provenance: From an old important private European collection

Notes: Kendis of this unusual form are in several museum collections, including the Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, illustrated in Maura Rinaldi, Kraak Porcelain, A Moment in the History of Trade, London, 1989, pl. 234, p. 181, or the Ardebil Shrine, Tehran, illustrated by John Alexander Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, London, 1981, plate 97, no. 29.465, and two in the Topkapi Saray Museum, illustrated by Krahl & Ayers, Chinese Porcelains in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, vol. II, nos. 1296 and 1297, pp. 730 and 731.
Compare with similar examples sold in our London Rooms, 7 November 2006, lot 254 and in Sotheby's, London, 5 November 2008, lot 300

Christie's. Art d'Asie, 15 December 2010, Paris www.christies.com