Lot 3660. An extremely rare polychrome-enamelled and underglaze-blue decorated 'dragon' cup, Mark and period of Longqing (1567-1592); d. 6.4 cm; Japanese wood box. Lot Sold 1,206,500 HKD (Estimate 500,000 - 2,000,000 HKD) © Sotheby's 2025

Provenance: An old Japanese private collection, Okayama.
A Japanese private collection, Tokyo, acquired from the above since early 2000s.

Note: Porcelains bearing the Longqing (1567-1572) imperial mark are particularly rare and significant, primarily due to the brevity of Longqing's reign, which lasted only six years. This short reign resulted in comparatively limited porcelain production, making surviving examples exceedingly scarce and valuable for dating purposes.

A key characteristic of Longqing imperial porcelain is the vibrant and sophisticated use of polychrome enamels, often combined with a distinctive rich and deep cobalt-blue underglaze decoration. These stylistic features evolved from the aesthetics established during the preceding Jiajing reign, yet exhibit a refined elegance in both composition and execution specific to Longqing wares, his meticulous craftsmanship and decorative proficiency reflected in present example highlights the high technical mastery achieved by potters during this brief period.

The historical significance of Longqing porcelains further stems from severe disruptions faced by the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen. Imperial records from the late 1560s and early 1570s document significant challenges including severe flooding, earthquakes, and notably, a devastating fire in 1571 that severely hampered porcelain production. These adversities made the creation of technically demanding and finely rendered imperial porcelains, such as those bearing the Longqing mark, particularly challenging and costly, further contributing to their rarity and historical importance.

A closely related Longqing polychrome-enamelled and underglaze-blue decorated 'dragon' cup, also with the fifth claw intentionally effaced, is in the Umezawa Kinenkan, Tokyo, illustrated in  Yuan and Ming Porcelain from the Collection of the Umezawa Memorial Museum , MOA Art Museum, Atami, 1992, cat. no. 42. A further comparable dragon cup, Mark and period of Longqing decorated in red enamel is in the Percival David Foundation Collection, now in housed in the British Museum (accession no. PDF.765), illustrated in Rebecca Feng, illustrated Catalog of Ming and Ming Style Polychrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art , London, 2006, p.37, no.765. Two additional closely related examples of Longqing mark and period porcelain wares decorated in polychrome enamels with dragon motifs have been sold at auction: a rare wucai 'dragon' dish, mark and period of Longqing, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2014, lot 3105, and another rare blue and white and iron-red 'dragon' bowl, also mark and period of Longqing, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th April 2013, lot 3003.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 7 May 2025