Chinese export blue and white porcelain double-handled gravy or sauce boat, 18th century. Oval shaped with two spouts along either end and two huli jing "fox spirit" loop handles. Decorated throughout with floral and latticework painting.

Provenance: From the Estate of C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan, Long Lake, Minnesota.

C. Curtis "Curt" Dunnavan (1926-2022) was a passionate world traveler and avid collector. It was through his travels that he was inspired to begin a lifelong relationship with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), becoming a major sponsor of the institute and facilitating the growth of their Asian art department, which is now one of the best in the country. His generous donations to Mia allowed them to establish a fund for the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, one of the few endowed positions of this type in the museum field. He additionally served as a trustee of the institute, advocating for its operational growth. In its turn, the museum established a gallery named in his honor in recognition for his endowment fund and numerous contributions to their collection. The selections here showcase his talent and breadth of collecting, ranging from ancient statues to 19th-century woodblock prints. His appreciation for art persisted throughout his life and we are honored to offer items from his collection in this auction.
Height: 3 in x width: 9 in x depth: 8 in. No major chips or losses. No visible cracks. Wear throughout as shown in the listing image. Original firing and glazing flaws. The color has faded over time and use. Along the rim, there is a 4 inches long transparent residue that is fluorescent under UV light; however, it does not appear to be a restoration and not apparent under natural light. Along the rim, there are white minute accretions; please see the listing image. Along the interior, there are areas that are lightly discolored to light yellow. Along the edges, there are several minute chips throughout. Along the outer edge of the item, there are two 1/4 in long chips; one of them shows a sign of a restoration attempt. The heads of handles have light glazing losses; please see the listing image. Along the underside, there are two areas of light yellow adhesive residues; original firing flaws. The footrim is lightly discolored and has unidentified accretions and minute chips.