A moulded and reticulated fahua ‘Eight Immortals' jar, Ming dynasty | 明　琺華鏤雕八仙過海圖罐

Shika Meisai: Ise Korekushon no Meito / Imperial Colors: Peerless Chinese Porcelains from the Ise Collection, Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, 2015, cat. no. 10.

It is rare to find a fahua jar with such a successful combination of reticulation and moulded decoration. The vivid scene of the Eight Immortals is skilfully rendered against a brilliant turquoise and cobalt-blue background. A fahua meiping with similar texture of decoration, but depicting an immortal and acolyte in the British Museum collection is illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pl. 13:9. See also a closely related jar in the collection of George Eumorfopoulos illustrated in R.L. Hobson and A.L. Hetherington, The Art of the Chinese Potter: An Illustrated Survey, London, revised ed., New York, 1982, pl. 111.

展覽

《瓷華明彩―イセコレクションの名陶》，五島美術館，東京，2015年，編號10

如此結合琺華鏤雕罐實屬罕見。八仙巧妙地描繪在綠松石與鈷藍色背景之上。可參考大英博物館藏一件紋飾工藝相近的琺華梅瓶，飾仙人童子圖，見霍吉淑，《Ming Ceramics in the British Museum》，倫敦，2001年，圖版13:9；另見尤莫弗普勒斯舊藏一件極為近似的琺華罐，著錄於霍布森、何天民，《The Art of the Chinese Potter: An Illustrated Survey》，倫敦修訂版，紐約，1982年，圖版111。