A VERY FINE AND UNUSUAL IRON-RED BOWL MARK AND PERIOD YONGZHENG

thinly potted with wide sides issuing from a high splayed foot, the exterior decorated with branches of pomegranate, peach and lychee, the interior with two small bats, all executed with a fine brush and exquisitely shaded in tones of iron red, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 785.

The overall condition is excellent with only two original pinholes on the footrim. The iron-red is in pristine condition.
"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."

With its exquisite brushwork and elegant, sparse painting, this bowl is an archetypal product of the Yongzheng period. Iron red was very rarely used on its own for painterly decoration on porcelain, which is surprising given the outstanding results it could yield, as this example documents.

Only one companion bowl appears to be recorded, from the H.M. Knight collection, included in the exhibition The Arts of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1963, cat. no. 233, and sold twice in these rooms, 19th May 1982, lot 313, and 30th April 1996, lot 466.