Jug

The jug is incomplete; the neck is missing and has been filled with plaster and repainted. It is circular and pear-shaped. The neck is straight, topped by a straight rim with a flat top. The shoulder is rounded and the wall is domed. It rests on a flared base with a flat bottom; the underside is slightly domed and the wide, flat base is free of glaze. The handle is vertical; oval in shape and cross-section, its upper end rests on the upper part of the neck, while the other rests on the shoulder and continues into an elongated, flat extension with a pointed base. The top of the handle is pierced by a small circular hole. The body is yellow, hard and well-fired; it is covered with a shiny white glaze ; The decoration is hand-painted in blue. It features a figurative motif in the Chinese Transitional style. It was applied to the neck, wall and handle. The decoration on the neck is delineated by a horizontal fillet, at the top, under the rim and at the shoulder junction. The main decoration, repeated on the two opposite walls, consists of a leafy branch ending in a flower, probably a tulip, with the leaves arranged in a mirror image. The decoration on the portion of the neck opposite the handle consists of two groups of four diamond-shaped beads, and a triangle at the base of the neck; on the handle side there are scrolls, under the rim, and a leafy motif on the neck. The decoration on the wall is encircled by a horizontal fillet at the top of the shoulder and on the base. It consists of a scene running from left to right, bordered by a rock and trees, probably including a pine. Two bald male figures follow, one standing and the other kneeling before a tall pine tree; trees are visible in the background. Interrupted by a stream, the scene resumes with rocks bordered by plants, long leaves and trees. The outer face of the cove is covered with vertical scrolls.