Blue-and-White Octagonal Covered Jar with Mandarin Ducks and Lion Finial | Lotus Pond Scene, with Wooden Box
This vintage Japanese blue-and-white covered jar is distinguished by its elegant sometsuke (blue-and-white) decoration of mandarin ducks playing on the water and lotus-pond flowers, and by its octagonal form, crowned with a three-dimensional lion finial; from form and painting to finial, it carries a distinct classical Eastern artistic character. The body is octagonal, with full shoulders tapering naturally toward the base, and each facet presents the blue-and-white design from a different viewing angle. The main scene on the front shows a pair of mandarin ducks gliding on the water, surrounded by lotus leaves, flowers, water plants and branches that complete the lotus-pond view. The blue alternates between deep and pale, with both heavier cobalt outlines and soft, ink-wash-like shading. The shoulder is encircled by a band of large lotus-petal / ruyi-style motifs that clearly separates it from the main scene, while the lower part is finished with continuous pendant leaves and geometric patterns, giving the piece a complete decorative rhythm from top to bottom. One of its most striking details is the deep blue lion finial on the lid. The lion adds a sculptural dimension and raises the piece from an ordinary blue-and-white covered jar to a display object with auspicious and protective symbolism.
