Chinese Ming Swatow Ware Rooster Water Dropper Polychrome Zhangzhou c 1550
£450.00
Inventory Code: INV4855
Object: Water Dropper
Material: Porcelain
Origin: China, Zhangzhou kilns (Swatow ware)
Period: Ming Dynasty
Date: Circa 1550, 16th century
Decoration: Underglaze iron-red outlines with green enamel floral decoration, molded rooster head spout and stylized tail handle
Marked: Unmarked
Measurements:
Height: 3.0 in / 7.5 cm
Width: 4.1 in / 10.5 cm
Depth: 3.3 in / 8.4 cm
Condition:
RESTORED/FAIR (2/5) - Old restoration to the molded tail handle with visible adhesive and overpainting. General glaze wear, firing imperfections, scattered kiln grit, staining, and minor fritting to the rim and high points. No other major damage observed. Please review the photos carefully for more details.
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DESCRIPTION
A rare Ming Dynasty porcelain water dropper produced at the Zhangzhou kilns, commonly known as Swatow ware, for the Asian market. The vessel is modeled with a rooster head spout and stylized tail handle, decorated in underglaze iron-red with translucent green enamels over an bluish glaze. The rounded body is painted with scrolling floral motifs and geometric borders. The wide neck was designed for filling while the rooster’s beak served as the pouring spout. An attractive and increasingly scarce example of early Chinese scholar’s desk equipment.
COLLECTOR’S NOTE
Rooster-form water droppers from the Zhangzhou kilns are well-documented Ming export wares dating to the mid-16th century. They were produced for use in the scholar’s studio for dispensing water onto inkstones and are prized today for their distinctive modeling and early polychrome decoration. Comparable examples are illustrated in publications on Ming Zhangzhou ceramics and have appeared in major specialist collections.
NOTES
Please review all photos carefully as they form part of the description.