A Very Rare Blue And Copper Red Octagonal Jar, Guan, Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368)

Very sophisticatedly potted and of octagonal baluster form, with rounded faceted sides rising from a slightly waisted base to a shoulder collar and a short neck, set with two moulded and pierced animal head handles on the sides, superbly painted around the body in a deep cobalt blue with intense 'heaping and piling', the broad centre with eight barbed pointed panels among knobby scrollwork, depicting in relief Taoist mortals farmed by also in relief floral spray with copper red flowers on the alternate panels , depicting on other panels are cobalt blue phoenix among various flower sprays and mandarin ducks in lotus pond, all above another similar shape amid smaller pointed panels decorated with gardenia flower sprays, eight floral panels collaring the sloped shoulder, the neck is similarly painted with composite flowers and a diaper pattern on the flanged rim, the shallow recessed base unglazed

This vessel combines three classic Yuan dynasty styles of decoration - underglaze cobalt-blue, underglaze copper-red and applied decoration. Originally it may have had a cover. Height 40 cm,  Mouth 15 cm, Base 18 cm