$382.50
In stock
East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. A marvelous pottery baluster or temple jar of monumental scale, impressively adorned with relief imagery, vibrantly glazed, and crowned by a dome-shaped lid. The reverse-piriform vessel is embellished by 8 columns lining the exterior, each filled with a meandering fine of flowers. Four bat-head lug handles are placed equidistantly along the rounded shoulder, and a monkey-shaped handle caps the lid surrounded by additional floral decoration. Though aesthetically pleasing, the intricate ornamentation is more than merely decorative – the bats represent good fortune and the flowers fertility, while the monkey notably holds a peach in reference to a 16th-century legend in which a monkey stole the peaches of immortality from the garden of Xi Wangmu “Queen Mother of the West.” Size (with lid): 20″ W x 43″ H (50.8 cm x 109.2 cm)
Condition: Lid does not fit snugly on rim of vessel. Small nick to rim of lid, but otherwise intact and excellent with nice craquelure to glaze in areas.
Provenance: private Bali, Indonesia collection; ex-Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired 1997 to 1998
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