Plat en porcelaine bleu et blanc d'un bouquet de lotus Chine, époque Yongle (1403-1424)

Circulaire avec un rebord haut doucement incurvé, peint d'un bleu profond sous couverte avec l'effet d'oxydation « heaping et piling » caractéristique de la période, avec un bouquet aquatique enrubanné de lotus et sagittaria encerclé de trois cercles concentriques, entouré de d'une composition florale en rinceaux de camélia, hibiscus, pivoine et lotus se répétant au revers, la base non émaillée brunie à la cuisson

A crack to the rim at about 9 o'clock of approx. 8.2cm, extending on the underside on approx. 6.2cm. A kiln firing chip inside the foot (2.1 x 0.8cm). Two small iron spots to the rim. Otherwise in good condition. The painting is very vribrant with an excellent tone of blue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This beautifully composed lotus bouquet motif is one of the classic designs of the early Ming period. Dishes of this design come in different sizes and slightly different design although the larger size dish usually comes with a wave border. A similar dish, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 665, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 31^st October 1974, lot 70. See another dish of this type, from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, included in the exhibition Blue and White: Chinese Porcelain and Its Impact on the Western World, University of Chicago, Chicago, 1985, cat. no. 21, where John Carswell notes that the informal, asymmetrical arrangement of the central bouquet and the generally naturalistic feeling illustrate the new spirit in the concept of decorating blue and white in the early fifteenth century.

Compare also two larger Yongle lotus bouquet dishes of this type, one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Geng Baochang (ed.) Gugong Bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci, Beijing, 2002, pl. 136; the other in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Mingdai chunian ciqi tezhan, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1982, cat. no. 41. A further example is published in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 757; another from the Herschel V. Johnson collection included in Sir Harry Garner, Oriental Blue and White, London, 1973, pl. 12