Large Chinese Blue-and-White Covered Porcelain Jar with Guardian-Lion Finial

A large blue-and-white covered jar of substantial, rounded ovoid form, decorated extensively in underglaze cobalt blue with floral, scrolling and ornamental motifs. Broad cartouches of dense botanical decoration are framed by scrolling foliate ornament, and additional floral and geometric borders encircle the shoulder and lower body in a richly layered composition.

The fitted domed cover is similarly decorated and surmounted by a sculptural guardian-lion finial. The vessel rests on a comparatively narrow foot, giving the large rounded body an elegant transition into its base. At 17 inches high it functions as a genuine focal object.