Chinese Early Ming Blue and White Lidded Box 15th C

A hand painted blue and white Chinese porcelain box from the early Ming Dynasty with a design of a horseman.

The designs on the heavy and thickly potted lidded box were painted with a very dark black under glaze cobalt. They were drawn using a line drawing technique from the early Ming Dynasty. The glaze is thick and unctuous, and it feels smooth and looks shiny. The cut sharp foot is unglazed. The base is glazed and has grit near the foot. The flanges on both the base and lid are unglazed.

3 ¾” (9.5 cm) diameter x 2 ¼” (5.7 cm) tall. Weighs 9.9 oz (280 g)

There are no cracks, breaks, or repairs. There is a small chip to the rim on the base. There is some wear from age and use. There are kiln flaws, such as bumps, grit, reserves, black spots, and the painting is not crisp.

A great Ming scholars' piece to add to a collection.