Box; China, Ming Dynasty, Wanli Period, 17th century.

Box; China, Ming Dynasty, Wanli Period, 17th century.
Glazed and enameled porcelain.
Measurements: 4 x 8,5 cm.
Emperor Wanli ruled China from 1573 to 1620, towards the end of the Ming Dynasty period, which lasted more than three centuries, until 1644. During Wanli's reign, porcelain manufacturers increasingly produced pieces for the export market to European countries such as the Netherlands, as well as for the burgeoning domestic market. The Dutch East India Company was responsible for much of the export trade, and pieces fetched high prices at auction in the Netherlands. This export pottery consisted mainly of blue and white porcelain pieces, which often appear on the market today, in many cases composed of goods salvaged from shipwrecks. The pieces were produced at both official imperial kilns and private kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. The blue-and-white glazed porcelain of the period came in a variety of forms, including bowls, vases and censers. Decoration included geometric motifs, stylized flowers, fruit branches and flowering stems.