A FINE FAMILLE-ROSE 'FLOWER AND BUTTERFLY' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

potted with rounded sides supported on a straight foot, the exterior painted with blooming roses and mallows in purplish pink and pale yellow, all borne on leafy branches issuing from the foot, the reverse with a green butterfly flying towards a rose bud, the interior similarly painted with a yellow flower, the countersunk base inscribed with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue

The overall condition is very good, 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."

Yongzheng bowls of this type, with sprays of flowers gently sweeping around the sides and a single fluttering butterfly, are rare; see a slightly smaller bowl of this shape, but enamelled with peonies and stylised chrysanthemums, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 72, together with a waisted bowl pinted with a flowering pomegranate branch, pl. 76.

For larger Yongzheng bowls with flowers painted in a similar style, but issuing from rockwork, see a pair illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 964; and two bowls sold in these rooms, 11^th April 2008, lots 2901 and 2902.

The present bowl depicts mallow flowers, a type of hibiscus, with peonies to represent the wish, 'May you have high position and great wealth'. The hibiscus (mufurong) is a pun for 'wealth' (fu) and 'glory' (rong), while the peony (fuguihua) is the flower of wealth and honour.