Large blue and white "dragon" jug, with Ming-Wanli marking

Large blue and white "dragon" jug, with Ming-Wanli marking

A porcelain wine decanter with underglaze decoration in blue-on-white enamel. Prominent around the body of the jug are two large flying dragons, waving amid flames and clouds over the sea.
The shape of the vessel is elongated and composed of eight lobes, similar to a pumpkin, with a circular lid and a handle in the form of a coiled stem. There is a fretwork border on the neck and a rigid, vertical, rectangular-shaped handle that emerges from the shoulders. The reliefs and decoration form beasts chewing on a kind of knob. On the front there is a curved mouthpiece with a relief in the shape of a monster's head 'tao tieh'. There are restorations and faults.
The base sits without a foot and has a Ming-Wanli mark inside a double circle that reads "大明万历年制" (Dàmíng wàn lìnián zhì).
Height: 35.50 cm; Width between handles: 28.50 cm
Provenance:
European private collection, Italy, Carbone family.