A very rare blue and white bowl mark and period of Xuande

the globular vessel with rounded sides well-painted in inky washes of cobalt blue with peonies borne on the same continuous scroll surrounded by fleshy leaves and attendant buds, set between a lotus flower scroll around the wide mouth, and upright pendant lappets and classic scroll around the concave foot, the slightly domed interior base decorated with a small chrysanthemum bloom with stippled petals encircled by leaves and enclosed within a double-ring medallion, the six-character mark inscribed horizontally below the mouth

David Lin & Co.

The Ceramic Society of Japan, Inaugural Exhibition, Hiroshima, 6th February 1954, no. 14. 

Minsho Toji Zukan, Hisashi Takuma, Yusankaku Inc, 1968, cat. no. 11.

There is an 8cm hairline crack on the base, but apart from this, the overall condition appears to be quite good.
"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."

Perfectly formed in its ergonomical shape and delicately painted with vibrant cobalt blue, this bowl is a fine example of the high-quality characteristic of Xuande porcelain. Bowls of this form are described in Archibald Brankston, Early Ming Wares of Chingtechen, Beijing, 1938, p. 25, as qing shui wan (pure water bowls) which were filled with water and used during prayers for purification. The small size and rounded shape allowed it to be held comfortably in one's palms.

A small number of similar examples can be found in important museums and private collections. See one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Ming chu qinghua ci, vol. 2, Beijing, 2002, pl. 122, and in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 12, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 95; and another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum's Special Exhibition of Selected Hsuan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming dynasty, Taipei, 1998, cat. no. 3. Compare also a bowl of this form and design in the British Museum, London, published in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics, London, 2001, pl. 4:22, where an identical piece in the Asian Museum of San Francisco is mentioned. Bowls of this type can also be found in Japanese collections; see one in the Idemitsu collection, published in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Colletion, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 636.

Two bowls of this type were also sold in these rooms, 2^nd May 2005, lot 508, and 26^th October 2003, lot 125; another from the collection of Edward T. Chow was sold twice in these rooms, 19^th May 1981, lot 402, and again, 3^rd May 1994, lot 40; and a fourth bowl from the Fuller collection was sold at Christie's London, 28-29^th June 1965, lot 147.