A LARGE FAHUA 'DRAGON' GLAZED POTTERY TILE, MING DYNASTY
China, 1368-1644. Heavily potted, the powerful two-part frieze with a fierce sinuous dragon writhing amid leafy lotus scrolls, the mouth wide open revealing sharp fangs and tongue, all covered with aubergine, turquoise, and yellow glazes and in a remarkably high relief.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, c. 2005 - by repute. Roger Keverne, London, acquired from the above. Roger Keverne served as the Chairman of Asian Art in London and as the President of BADA. He began his 50-year career with Spink & Son, rising to head the Asian department by the age of only 28. He left Spink in 1992 to start his own gallery together with Miranda Clarke, his wife and business partner, in Mayfair, London, which eventually closed its doors in June 2020.
Condition: Fine condition with old wear, substantial weathering, firing flaws, some losses and chipping. Overall remarkably well preserved, commensurate with age, and presenting nicely.

Weight: 13.6 kg and 14.1 kg
Dimensions: Size 52 x 34 cm and 53.5 x 35 cm

Literature comparison: Glazed friezes of dragons would have often adorned walls of temples. See a related example of dragon tiles, opposite the entrance to Wenmiao temple in Taiyuan, Ming dynasty, illustrated by C. Eng, Colors and Contrast: Ceramic Traditions in Chinese Architecture, Leiden and Boston, 2015, page 209.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related two-part dragon tile (each part 59.7 cm long), also dated to the Ming dynasty but with a sancai glaze, at Christie's New York in Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 14 September 2018, lot 1332, sold for USD 12,500.

明代大型琺華龍紋琉璃磚
中國, 1368-1644年。琉璃磚厚重，兩塊磚合成一條矯健蜿蜒的龍，四周荷葉荷花環繞。龍嘴張開，露出鋒利的尖牙和舌頭，全部覆蓋著茄子紫、翠綠和黃色釉料，高浮雕。

來源：據說來自倫敦蘇富比，約2005年；英國倫敦Roger Keverne私人收藏，購於上述拍賣。Roger Keverne 曾擔任倫敦亞洲藝術協會主席和 BADA 總裁。 他在 Spink & Son 開始了他 50 年的職業生涯，年僅 28 歲就成為亞洲部門的負責人。他於 1992 年離開 Spink，與他的妻子和商業夥伴 Miranda Clarke 在倫敦Mayfair成立了自己的藝廊 ，最終於 2020 年 6 月關閉。品相：狀況良好，磨損、嚴重風化、燒製缺陷、一些缺損和碎屑。整體保存完好，與年齡相稱，外觀精美。

重量：13.6公斤與14.1 公斤
尺寸：52 x 34 厘米與53.5 x 35 厘米

拍賣結果比較：比較一件龍紋琉璃磚，兩部分組成，每部分長59.7 厘米，同樣為明代但是三彩釉，見紐約佳士得Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art 2018年9月14日 lot 1332, 售價USD 12,500。