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[Sorry: The question that I posted earlier had a link to photos in it but the link did not appear in the posting. I am attaching the photos this time.] I have a small, lidded Chinese pot that has a wucai glaze over a blue underglaze. It stands 3 1/2" tall and is approximately 4 1/2" wide. It appears to me that it bears a Xuande mark, but I would appreciate receiving your feedback on my assessment of this mark. Many thanks, Laurie

Yes, but it is a fake.
One of the characters is written in a manner that it never was, on real Ming dynasty porcelain. A very basic faking error, I would say.

Well, yes, it does say Da Ming Xuande nian zhi, but it is a fake mark. Marks for this reign can be sloppy but this written wrong.

Reason this mark put on is because this is doucai decoration, enamels over underglaze-blue outlines.

Poor planning (vines incomplete) and very poorly drawn leiwen (squared reversing scroll around neck) suggest late 20th century or later. Make grit teeth to see neck, would like to erase - pot would be so much nicer without. Enamels not badly done and colors almost right, but underglaze outlines could be more expert.

Do internet search doucai, Chenghua, Xuande, can find actual exquisite examples from periods.

Good luck,
Cal

the mark reads da ming xuande nian zhi (literally great ming xuande period made), so a mark purporting to be xuande era, yes, but your piece was made much more recently.

This is a Xuande mark but only in characters and not of the period. The 'de' character at the bottom center of the mark is written in its current dictionary form, which has a brush stroke that wasn't used in authentic Xuande marks. I've pasted a graphic showing how this characteristic applied to the Ming Xuande and Zhengde reign marks alike.

FYI, I believe your jar is painted in the 'doucai' or 'contending colors' palette. 'Doucai' uses delicate outlines of the motif, which are filled with transparent colors, usually yellow, green, aubergine and red. 'Wucai' or 'Five Colors', the last of the Ming palettes to be introduced, had the same hues and underglaze blue as 'doucai' but used the blue to fill some of the large spaces, just like the other colors. (This is paraphrased from a New York Metropolitan Museum of Art description.)

Best regards,

Bill H.

The right hand flower has been decorated in famille rose enamels. This palette was not introduced into China until circa 1710.

The jar is recently made and the mark is obviously apocryphal.

Thanks to all for taking the time to provide such thorough and informative responses. I may be disappointed -- Xuande pieces command high prices -- but I learned a great deal from you. Laurie.

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