A FINE AUBERGINE 'DRAGON' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

finely potted with rounded sides flaring at the rim and resting on a straight foot, incised on the outside with two five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls among flames and clouds and above rocks and waves, with a key-fret border at the foot, the inside and base glazed white, the latter inscribed with the six-character mark within a double circle

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 890.

Apart from the few pin holes and kiln grit on the interior of the bowl, the overall condition is very good. The actual colour is deeper than the catalogue image.
"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."

Aubergine 'dragon' bowls are already known from the late Ming period and were produced throughout the Qing dynasty, and are also known with Yongzheng, Qianlong, Daoguang, Guangxu and Tongzhi reign marks. A rare example of Wanli mark and period is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, with a similar incised design but executed in the style of the late Ming dynasty, illustrated in Zhongguo meishu quanji. Gongyi meishu bian: Taoci [Complete series on Chinese art. Arts and crafts section: Ceramics], Shanghai, 1988-91, vol. 3, pl. 125. A similar Kangxi bowl in the Roemer-Museum, Hildesheim, Germany, is illustrated in Ulrich Wiesner, Chinesisches Porzellan. Die Ohlmer'sche Sammlung im Roemer-Museum, Hildesheim, Mainz, 1981, cat. no. 101; another from the R.E.R. Luff Will Trust was sold in our London rooms, 26th June 1073, lot 33.