Porcelain ewer, China, Jingdezhen; Ming dynasty, Jiajing mark and period, ca. 1522-1566. Porcelain decorated in overglaze cobalt blue; gilt copper mountings, enamel and gems; 27 x 11.5 x 18 cm. © PAB / Aguiar-Branco

This rare pear-shaped ewer with flattened sides, peach-shaped panels, a narrow neck and short vertical rim, is modelled after a metallic prototype. Sturdily potted, it is covered in a clear, colourless glaze, except for the underside of the round footring which was left unglazed. On the underside, the four-character Jiajing reign mark (Ji jìng nián zhì 嘉靖年製) is painted in cobalt blue under the glaze inside a double, circular border. The long and curved spout, circular in cross-section, would have been connected to the neck by a scroll shaped strut. The round handle, which is also missing, was possibly square in cross-section, and would have curved high next to the mouth and broken into a straight line towards the neck not unlike surviving examples of a similar form. The mounts are one of the most interesting features of this rare ewer. Made from fire gilt copper using an amalgam of gold and mercury, these are enamelled and set with gems (turquoise and coral) and some substitutes such as coloured glass. Replacing the lost handle and the spout finial, the mountings also decorate, like a rich frame, the body of the ewer around the spout. Both the presence of filigree, the shape of gemsetting collets and the colourful enamels point to a likely Iranian origin from the mid-seventeenth century, a Safavid production. All the moulded elements including the ring on top of the handle that would have connected to a similar ring on top of the stepped cover, and are now missing, are reminiscent of the original metallic object which this porcelain version reproduces.