A rare and important Ming Dynasty Chongzhen period cylindrical vase, decorated in cobalt blue children celebrating New Year; one child was igniting a large fire-cracker while another child raising both hands to cover his ears, and the third child keeps a distant while turns his head to watch, all in bright blue color typical for late Ming and early Kangxi; the body is well potted and made of fine clay; the glaze has a foggy/milky appearance with bluish-green tint and is mellow without the shine of newly fired porcelains; these features are typical for late Ming and early Kangxi porcelains; the outer base is turned reddish during firing and has many concentric rings surrounding the slightly upward depressed center, a unique feature of some high quality late Ming porcelains, Height 6 1/2 in., Width 4 in. Provenance: Dr. Robert I-San Lin’s Collection of Important Chinese Arts, brought to California in 1960s