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Ming Dynasty jar sold for millions at HK auction

By Lin Qi ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2016-06-01 14:25:48
Ming Dynasty jar sold for millions at HK auction

Jussi Pylkkanen, Christie's' global president, chairs the auction in Hong Kong. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) blue and white jar, once used to put walking sticks in by its last European owner, was sold for HK$158 million yuan ($20 million) at a Hong Kong auction on Monday night.

The 15th-century jar, which is new to the market, exemplifies the magnificent ceramic making techniques during the reign of Emperor Xuande, which is widely considered a highpoint in China's blue and white (qinghua) porcelain production.

It features three major motifs: a dragon with four five-clawed feet and its head turning backwards, four monster masks and flowing clouds.

The luminous glaze and the underglaze decorations demonstrate the mastery of applying colors on a porcelain body at the time.

The jar, which was a highlight at Christie's spring sales in Hong Kong, was consigned by a Swiss woman, who inherited it from her uncle in 1997.

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