Further images
Of slender form with flared neck exquisitely painted in underglaze blue with two characters, one a warrior in a mountainous landscape. The moustachioed warrior with outstretched arms, one hand raised, index finger pointing upwards at the sky, the other hand with thumb pointing downwards, the nails clearly defined, the differing textures of his robes delineated with extraordinary clarity, he wears patterned pointed boots and a sword at his side; coming towards him from behind a scroll, another character, his leg outstretched as if running towards the warrior, he also has a moustache and has bushy eyebrows, and wears a hat with a wide rim; in front, scattered boulders and grasses issuing from rockwork, in the background, mountains rise below a full moon and a constellation of stars, the scene framed by typical swirling early Transitional cloudwork, the flaring rim with stiff pendant leaves, at the neck and at the foot, incised lines, the base unglazed.
Literature
This is an extraordinary example of early Transitional style, circa 1630's. For a similar shape see Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1983-4 vol 48, illustration no 33, page 56 in the article Chinese Porcelain at the end of the Ming.
