Ming, A collector’s dream

As long as there will be antiques and collectibles, there will also be enthusiastic collectors for who, acquiring an antique piece from history and making it a part of their collection is a hobby that never dies down. The more ancient the collectible, the stronger is the collector’s desire to acquire it.

A Ming pottery piece is among the most prized in the world of antiques and collectibles and when there is one that comes up on the auction block, there is surely going to be heavy bidding in an attempt to take this precious and rare antique home.

Valuators at Duke’s auction house in Dorchester, England were amazed to see a Ming vase dating back some 600 years (1403-1424). This exclusive Ming moonflask made during the Yongle dynasty reign is among one of the rarest of all big pottery pieces from that era. The 29 cm tall vase is surprisingly intact and has survived some six centuries and is still in one piece.

Brought to Duke’s auction house by a retired factory worker, this Ming vase is unique in its shape and design which is largely influenced by Islamic culture. The central part of the vase is a six pointed star with trellis net patterns painted around it. The neck of the vase is surrounded by a torrent of clouds. The Islamic style of design and the Chinese style of decoration and placement are a pointer to the trade relations between the Yongle dynasty and the Mamluk Empire that reigned over Syria and Egypt in that period.

This Ming vase has, however, has the signature stamp of Chinese Ming art which is seen through the blue painted forms which have the distinctive heaped and piled procedure of the Ming pottery design.

Drawn by its superb condition, its exclusiveness and its distinctive design, this one-of-a-kind Ming vase is expected to see maximum bids from collectors from all over the world including collectors from the Middle East.