Jar and lid, c1700
Kangxi reign (1662 – 1722)
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration, 26.2 x dia. 21.8cm
Accession Number LL72
‘Prunus’ jars like this became an obsession of British and American collectors in the late 1890s. By 1905 they could sell for sell for up to £6,000 each. Connoisseurs paid close attention to the perfection of the azure blue colour and according to those standards this example has been considered the finest in any western collection. Lever acquired this piece from the collection of Richard Bennett, from whom he bought many pieces in 1913.
These jars were used in China as containers for gifts of tea or other delicacies at the lunar New Year Festival in January or February. Appropriately, the design celebrates the approach of spring. Branches of prunus blossom (which appears in late winter) are depicted against a background of cracking ice.
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