A FINE RUBY-ENAMELLED 'ANHUA' 'DRAGON' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

well potted with steeply rounded sides rising to a flared rim and resting on a short cylindrical foot, finely decorated on the interior with two five-clawed dragons in pursuit of 'flaming pearls' in anhua under a transparent glaze, the exterior covered with a deep ruby-pink enamel, inscribed on the base with a four-character reign mark within a double square

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5th November 1997, lot 1526.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1826.

The overall condition is excellent with only a faint 1 cm original body line beneath the glaze. The ruby colour is very even. The dragon design is very clear.
"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 rare anhua ('hidden decoration') technique, which involves moulding, and probably a very fine layer of slip, is very different from other forms of decoration that may equally be hidden, but are generally created by the much simpler method of incising. It was developed in the Hongwu period (1368-98) of the early Ming dynasty and hardly used after the Xuande reign (1426-35).

A bowl of the same form, design, enamel colour, reign mark and size in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, is illustrated in Gugong Qing ci tulu. Kangxi yao, Yongzheng yao/Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, Republic of China: K'ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 139; another ruby-pink bowl of this form in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is published in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 255.