A BLUE AND WHITE 'DRAGON' ZHADOU MARK AND PERIOD OF ZHENGDE

with rounded body, wide trumpet-shaped neck and splayed foot, painted with three pairs of five-clawed dragons among scrolling lotus, distributed over the interior and exterior of the neck and the body and shown in different attitudes, with a ruyi border at the foot, the base inscribed with a four-character reign mark

Christie's London, 5th April 1976, lot 161.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 686.

Apart from a 1.5 restored rim chip and and 4 iron spots on the exterior and two on the interior, the overall condition is quite good. The glaze is very glossy.
"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."

This dragon-and-lotus design is by far the most characteristic ornamentation of Zhengde imperial porcelains, where it also appears on dishes, bowls of two different forms, and stem bowls, and would seem to represent something like the official pattern of the period.

For a similar piece in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Minji meihin zuroku [Illustrated catalogue of important Ming porcelains], Tokyo, 1977-8, vol. 2, pl. 92; for one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999-2000, vol. 12, pl. 147; one in the Sir Percival David Collection in the British Museum is published in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, 1980-82, vol. 6, pl. 124; and another from the Lauritzen collection in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, op.cit., vol. 8, pl. 228. A similar piece from the collections of L.F. Hay, H.M. Knight, and Frederick Knight, included in the exhibition Oosterse Schatten. 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1954, cat. no. 247, was sold three times in our rooms, in London, 16th June 1939, lot 99, in Hong Kong, 18th May 1982, lot 30, and in New York, 15th June 1983, lot 278. A matching dish, also in the Meiyintang collection is published in Krahl, op.cit., vol. 4, no. 1679; a deep bowl and another dish of this design in the Shanghai Museum are illustrated in Lu Minghua, Mingdai guanyao ciqi [Ming imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007, pls 3-77 and 3.78.