A rare blue and white 'lotus' bowl Ming Dynasty, Chenghua period

finely potted, the rounded sides painted in an inky cobalt-blue on the exterior with five large stylised lotus flowerheads, each borne on the same continuous thin vine encircled by trefoil leaves, the foot encircled by a ruyi-head chain, the base of the interior decorated with a peony sprig encircled by attendant leaves bound within a double-circle

A Private Japanese Collection.

Apart from a minor.8cm original scratch in the glaze, revealing the orange exposed body on the interior wall, the overall condition is very 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."

The present bowl is notable for its fine and elegantly painted decoration and refined glaze, which are characteristic of the peak of quality, beauty and inventiveness achieved during the Chenghua period. A closely related example with a Chenghua reign mark and of the period, but with a plain interior, excavated at Zhushan, Jingdezhen, was included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C78. See a slightly larger bowl of this type, but with a band of pointed petals encircling the foot and the interior with a central cruciform vajra within a meander and trellis border around the rim, sold in our London rooms, 18-19^th December 1973, lot 367; and another painted on the interior with a central carp medallion encircled by fish and emblems above waves, sold in our London rooms, 4^th November 1975, lot 173. Compare also two bowls of similar form, decorated with a stylised lotus scroll, with a Chenghua reign mark and of the period, included in the Special Exhibition of Ch'eng-Hua Porcelain, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1976, cat. nos 113 and 114, and another in underglaze blue and enamel, cat. no. 115.