Chinese Ming Dynasty Wucai porcelain lidded box. Hand painting Wucai design in lozenges shape, conjoined double rectangles. The lower and upper exterior side decorated with Auspicious geometric pattern. The top with five-claws imperial dragons amidst sparse Li-Shui wave and scrolling ruyi, beside the soaring phoenix with lengthy wing plumage face each other amidst cumulus flame cloud form. Waves are known to serve as the dragons abode, with the dragon representing the Emperor and imperial household. Dragon Long is the symbol of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven, eternity, Yang and Yin, male vigor and fertility and The Phoenix (Feng-Huang) represents exquisiteness, goodness, warmth, prosperity, peace, the Sun, abundant harvests, and reason in government. Inner flange circumscribed around the lip of the container allows for perfectly cover fitting perfectly of the covering along the scalloped edges on the box. The underside foot rim and both mouth rims left unglazed, with pale-creme base spotted firing marks. The clay is fine and exquisite, the glaze smooth, brilliant with a moist appearance, the finishing meticulous.
The under-base bears a reign mark, a vertical six underglazed blue script characters reign mark, Made in The Years of Longqing Reign Period of Great Ming Dynasty. Measurements: Height: 2 5/8" Width: 6"