Wanli style porcelain box

[Stan]

Hi Peter, here is another piece new to my collection, I do not know much about these type of items except that they are hard to get, even the later ones like this, I believe that this could be late Qing or early republic, for years I have been trying to get on but I am always out bid, this time I was not, the porcelain is all hand formed and hand painted, there are age signs and some ware to the bottom to lead me to think it could be late Qing to early republic, this is the nicest one I have seen in a long time, all the blue color is under glaze and the reds and greens are on top of the glaze, I would like your expertise on this one because I do not know enough to judge accurately, I will post 15 photos for you to view, thanks for your knowledgable comments.

[Stan]

Here are more photo's.

[Stan]

More photos.

[Stan]

Last set of photos, thanks for viewing.

[calder]

Hi Stan I must admit I like the wucai decoration.

[calder]

    Here is one in my collection[I wish]
Link
www.alaintruong.com/archives/2014/07/13/30245036.html

[Stan]

Hi Calder, that looks a lot like mine except for the for the reticulated top and the mark is written different , also the bottom on mine is completely glazed except the bottoms or the foot, thanks Calder I could not find one like mine when I did my search, could mine be that old?

[peterp]

Stan, good wucai wares are difficult to get. Anything of this type is either ugly or expensive. I have just two cups with Ming marks, and they were rated to about Qianlong, with apocryphal Ming marks.
Generally said, if it were late Ming, the red color should be rather dark. The white glaze should have a tint of yellow, or at least not be a pure white. The bottom it looks too spotless for such a big item, and the mark is also a bit too neat. I had a look at the Ming marks in one of my books, but none was written in such a regular manner.
Late Qing or early republic? I do not know much of wucai copies of that period, so I can not tell. You will need a hands-on inspection. It is almost too good to be true, in my view, but apart from the above I cannot see much either way.
In the Guangxu period (Kangxi revival) some copies of Kangxi wucai decorations were made, but actually the use of wucai decorations declined in the 18th century, due to the use of fencai enamels.
Was it expensive?

[Stan]

HI peter, I bought this at the local auction, and not many people showed, so I got it for a really good deal , I also bought several other Chinese antique porcelain items, I will put them up for discussion soon, there was another large Wucai vase that I wanted, it was an awesome vase but unfortunately I stopped bidding a $1100. and it sold to an online bidder.
I meant to tell you that the photo's I took were indoors because it was raining out side and the colors in the photo's are a little brighter than they really are also I wanted to let you know that you can see tinny prick marks in the signature  and in the decoration where it looks like they used the prick marks before thay painted the decoration and marks, I don't know it they did that in the Guangxu period,

[peterp]

The prick marks were common at least since the Qianlong reign, but can even be found on modern items. I have an unfinished vase here that is probably fairly recent. The prick marks for the decoration are clearly visible in the unpainted parts. Nothing for dating in it.

[Stan]

Thanks Peter, I will say though, I know that it is not Ming but a copy and a very good copy as far as the mark, I saw on on Christies that showed the mark identical to the one on mine and it was from the Ming dynasty but like you said the reds are more of a darker color red, do you have any idea the age of this, possibly early republic?

[Stan]

The white ground is white-white with no yellow at all so that can rule out Ming, so dose the condition, there are hardly any scratches and it is in mint condition other that a couple small kiln cracks there would be no flaws, so it sounds like it might have been made around the the mid 20th century.