Flower pot. Stoneware body covered in blue glaze. Official Jun ware 官鈞窯. Juntai, Yuxian, Henan province 河南省, 禹縣, 鈞台. Ming dynasty, about AD 1368–1435. On loan from Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. PDF 36 © Trustees of the British Museum

Height: 185 mm. Diameter: 205 mm. Diameter: 123 mm (base). Diameter: 203 mm (mouth). Jun stoneware flower-pot with globular body, wide flaring neck and everted mouthrim. The flower-pot has greenish blue glaze. There is an inscription, and five round holes, on the base, which is unglazed.

‘Official’ Jun wares have been found at a kiln site near the Juntai terrace, inside the north gate of the administrative seat of Yuzhou prefecture (modern Yuxian). They were made in the early Ming period (about AD 1368 to 1435). They are also called ‘Numbered’ Jun because they bear Chinese numbers (from one to ten) incised on their bases. This flower pot has five holes in its base and is incised with the character 六 liu , meaning six on its base.

Acquisition notes: Acquired from Yamaka in April 1937

Bibliographic reference: Medley, Margaret, Volume 7: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 7 of 12, Tokyo, Kodansha ltd, 1975

Hobson, Robert L, A Catalogue of Chinese Pottery and Porcelain in the Collection of Sir Percival David Bt., F.S.A., London, The Stourton Press, 1934

Yorke Hardy, Sheila, Tung, Ju, Kuan, Chun, Kuang-tung & Glazed I-hsing Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1953

Pierson, Stacey, Illustrated catalogue of Ru, Guan, Jun, Guangdong and Yixing wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, University of London, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, School of Oriental and African Studies, 1999