WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK WITHIN DOUBLE-RECTANGLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619)

Boxes of this pattern include one in the Illustrated Catalogue of the Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. II, Japan, 1990, no. 108; one in the Lauritzen Collection, Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, Kodansha Series, vol. 8, Japan, 1982, pl. 245; one included in the Exhibition of Yuan and Ming Ceramics, The Japan Ceramic Society, Tokyo, 1956, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 163; and another sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 November 2004, lot 1090 but few examples exhibit the vibrancy and definition in the cobalt blue found on the present box and cover.