Lot 1292. A very rare blue and white deep bell-shaped cup, Jiajing six-character mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1522-1566); 4½ in. (11.5 cm.) high. Estimate USD 40,000 - USD 60,000. Price realised USD 93,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

The cup has deep upright sides flaring slightly at the rim, and is raised on a tall foot. The exterior is painted in rich shades of underglaze blue with two five-clawed dragons striding amidst lingzhi-shaped clouds above a terrestrial diagram. The interior is decorated with a single dragon roundel in the center below a border of petal lappets at the rim, box.

Note: A very similar Jiajing blue and white cup of the same shape and size is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 35 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (II), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 149, no. 138. (Fig. 1) The decoration on the Beijing cup is painted in a different style, and the underglaze blue appears to be of a more inky tone.

A Jiajing blue and white bell-shaped cup illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 35 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (II), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 149, no. 138.