14TH Century Cobalt Blue Chinese Porcelain Bowl
From approximately 1380's, this piece was made over 400 years before the Europeans could produce fine porcelain. This wonderful cobalt blue and white decorated bowl has a very interesting outer free form design. Inside their are a pair of double cobalt concentric circles, one at the bowls bottom and the other just below the upper rims design. The signature inside the bowls bottom, usually reserved for better quality wares, is also done in cobalt blue. This bowl was most likely made in by established Chinese Potters in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Traveling by sea, they traded their wares to Java, Burma, India, Persia and Africa. The holds of the ships were filled at the start of the dangerous voyage with these and other wares and trade cargo, and as they they were traded, other items took their place for the voyage home. This item was first purchased in Hawaii from the original finders of the treasure ships in international waters in 1985. It is part of the world class Fredericks/McIntire collection. The bowl is in excellent condition for its age with no chips, cracks, hairlines, or repairs. Diameter 4-1/8" by 2-1/8" high.
This bowl has also been authenticated by Dr. Timothy Jones, PhD, Anthropologist, formerly with the University of Arizona. Dr. Jones has accepted invitations to the world's largest museum in Beijing, and has received privately guided tours of the Beijing Museum, which included some of the most treasured vault items hidden away from the general public. Dr. Jones has directed the excavations and analyses of more than 20 major sites and 40 archaeological surveys. Dr. Jones now runs his own appraisal and authentication business, and is certified RPA-IAA. Dr. Jones can be reached at 520-744-2766.
This piece has also been authenticated by Fred Gumbart. Mr. Fred Gumbart is the owner/appraiser of Arizona Galleries (520-322-6388). He specializes (by appointment only) in consultations, and is an official, licensed, and accredited appraiser of Fine Period Antiques, Fine Art, Ethnographic Art, Pre-Columbian Art and the Asian Arts. Fred is a lifelong, serious collector of art, antiques and artifacts, and has been seen on the PBS History Detectives TV Show concerning antiques and artifacts.