Of ovoid form, finely painted in shades of cobalt blue with shaped panels enclosing floral sprays and butterflies against an ice-crack ground with scrolling leafy lotus sprays, below a band of pendent drops of alternating size, the cylindrical cover with a broad band of precious objects to the sides and leafy lotus sprays to the flat top, all against ice-crack grounds and divided by line borders.

Provenance: Michael Hatcher, recovered from the ‘Hatcher wreck’ in 1983. Christie’s Amsterdam, 14 March 1984. Felix Tikotin, acquired from the above and thence by descent. The base with an old label, ‘The Hatcher Collection. Christie’s Amsterdam. 14-03-1984’. Michael Hatcher (b. 1940) is a British explorer and marine salvor who specialized in salvage work in the South China Sea. In 1981 he was involved in investigating the wreck of the Dutch submarine K XVII. He is especially known for his recovery of large quantities of Chinese porcelain from the VOC ship Geldermalsen (known as the ‘Nanking cargo’) which was sold at auction by Christie's in Amsterdam in 1986. Previously, he had discovered another ship in the South China Sea, which became known as the ‘Hatcher wreck’. A part of the cargo salvaged in this wreck was sold at Christie’s Amsterdam in March 1984, including the present lot.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and firing irregularities, including kiln grit to the base, the mouth rim with a small smoothened area, probably inherent to manufacture. The exterior with surface alteration consistent with objects from maritime salvage.

Weight: 2,896 g
Dimensions: Height 30 cm

The present ginger jar was recovered among some 25,000 vessels found on the wreck of an unidentified Asian ship in the South China Sea. This ship is known as the 'Hatcher wreck' after Captain Michael Hatcher who discovered her in 1983. There is no written record testifying to the exact year of her sinking but the covers of two oviform jars inscribed in underglaze blue with a cyclical date corresponding to 1643 make fairly precise dating of the wreck possible. The cargo primarily consisted of two types of blue-and-white porcelain made at Jingdezhen at the end of the Ming dynasty – late variations of 'kraak' ware and examples of a 'transitional' style characterized by landscape motifs and naturalistic plants and birds. The ship may have been on its way to Indonesia, carrying also spices, silk and other commodities for sale to the Dutch whose East India Company had offices in Batavia (modern Jakarta). Chinese junks sailing to Batavia or Bantam varied in size from 200 to 800 tons. The journey out was made over three weeks during December and January and the return trip took place in June and July.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 12 November 2004, lot 216
Price: GBP 3,824 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A blue and white ginger jar and cover, Kangxi
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration with similarly shaped panels enclosing floral sprays against an ice-crack ground. Note the smaller size (25.5 cm) and the fact that this jar is somewhat later than the present lot.



約1643-1645年間青花開光花卉紋蓋罐
短頸，豐肩，腹下斂；青花冰裂紋地，纏枝蓮紋和蝴蝶；兩面葉形開光，裏面描繪菊花紋。短頸無釉，圈足未上釉，露胎。

來源：Michael Hatcher，1983年從 ‘Hatcher 沉船’ 找到；阿姆斯特丹佳士得，1984年3月14日；Felix Tikotin購於上述拍賣，保存至今。底部有一舊標籤 ‘The Hatcher Collection. 阿姆斯特丹佳士得. 14-03-1984’。Michael Hatcher (出生於 1940年) 是英國探險家、海上救助員，專門在南海從事打撈工作。1981 年，他參與調查荷蘭潛艇 K XVII 的殘骸。他因從 1986 年在阿姆斯特丹佳士得拍賣會上出售的 VOC 船 Geldermalsen（被稱為“南京船貨”）中回收了大量中國瓷器而聞名。此前，他還在中國南部發現了另一艘船，後來被稱為“海切爾沉船”。1984 年 3 月，在這艘沉船中打撈出的部分貨物在佳士得阿姆斯特丹拍賣行出售，包括本批貨物。
品相：狀況極佳，有輕微磨損和燒製不規則，包括底部有窯砂，口緣有一個小的平滑區域，可能是製造所固有的。

重量：2,896 克
尺寸：高30 厘米

在中國南海一艘身份不明的亞洲船隻的殘骸中發現了大約 25,000 件瓷器，包括這件蓋罐。這艘船於 1983 年被發現，並因爲Michael Hatcher邁克爾·海切爾船長而被稱為“海切爾號沉船”。沒有書面記錄證明她沉沒的確切年份，但兩個罐子的蓋子上有青花釉下彩，經過考察很可能為 1643 年。貨物主要包括明末景德鎮生產的兩種青花瓷——“克拉克”瓷器的晚期變體和以山水圖案和自然主義植物和鳥類為特徵的“過渡”風格的。這艘船可能正在前往印度尼西亞的途中，還載有香料、絲綢和其他商品，出售給荷蘭人。荷蘭人的東印度公司在巴達維亞（今雅加達）設有辦事處。駛往巴達維亞或矮腳雞的中國帆船大小從 200 噸到 800 噸不等。12 月和 1 月期間進行了三個多星期的旅行，6 月和 7 月回程。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：倫敦佳士得，2004年11月12日，lot 216
價格：GBP 3,824（相當於今日EUR 7,000）
描述：康熙青花開光花卉紋蓋罐
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形和裝飾具有類似的裝飾，以及青花冰裂紋地。請注意尺寸較小 (25.5 厘米) 和此罐年代較晚。