Porcelain flask, blue on a white ground, 17th century

Square-section hard-paste porcelain bottle. Decorated with figures in a mountainous, lakeside landscape, painted in cobalt blue on a white ground. The drawings are quickly sketched, almost like caricatures, the artist focusing on the essentials, a characteristic of this period. Very fine quality glaze, slightly bluish, beautifully fired, luminous cobalt blue. This type of bottle would have contained wine or spirits. It should be noted that creating cubic porcelain is much more difficult, as the numerous angles are subject to the stresses of shrinkage and deformation during drying and firing, resulting in many imperfections and warping. Perfect condition, no chips or cracks, no repairs or grinding. Firing flaws: a crack under the base filled by the glaze, a mineral residue on the rim, and a spot of iron impurities on the foot. China, late Ming dynasty, transitional period. 17th century. Height: 245mm