A fine pair of doucai chrysanthemum 'roundels' jars and covers seal marks and period of Daoguang

of ovoid form rising to a straight neck and tapering to the footrim, finely painted with double-chrysanthemum roundels and stylised lotus in an alternating double register, beneath a blue border of upright ruyi heads below the neck and above another identical border circling the foot, the base inscribed with a four-character seal mark, the matching cover with a single chrysanthemum medallion enclosed within a double circle and the sides with four leafy floral sprigs

One jar, Sotheby's New York, 18th March 2008, lot 175.
The other, Sotheby's London, 1989.

The overall condition of the pair is excellent with almost all of the enamelling well preserved.
"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."

A pair of closely related jars and covers was included in the exhibition Shincho toji, MOA Art Museum, Tokyo, 1984, cat. no. 47; and one, but lacking the cover, was sold in these rooms, 14^th November 1989, lot 235; and another in our London rooms, 11^th December 1990, lot 453.

No exact Chenghua original of this design appears to be recorded, however the design is well-known from Chenghua bowls; see a doucai bowl excavated from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kilns at Jingdezhen included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C119. Compare also a Chenghua jar and cover with a related design in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji, taoci, vol. 3, Shanghai, 1988, pl. 96.