A FINE LARGE 'LIANZI' WHITE-GLAZED BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF XUANDE

well potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short slightly tapered foot, the exterior faintly incised with two rows of elongated lotus petals below a frieze of turbulent crested waves, the interior incised with a central medallion of two leafy pomegranates within double circles under a register of key-fret at the rim, applied overall with an even white glaze tinged to a subtle light blue tone, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with the six-character reign mark within double circles

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2009, lot 1625.

The overall condition is very good with only a pin-prick air bubble and a few tiny iron specks on the exterior near the foot. The actual tone is quite close to the catalogue illustration and the potting is well balanced.
"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."

Lianzi bowls of this type derive from one of the finest early Ming blue-and-white wares produced at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. The delicately incised decorations of the present bowl closely follow that of their underglaze blue counterparts. Pieces such as the present bowl demanded the utmost skill of the craftsman in order to capture the ethereal purity of the form and glaze that would enable it to be suitable for ritual ceremonies.

A closely related bowl from the Carl Kempe collection, illustrated in Bo Gyllensvard, Chinese Ceramics in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1964, pl. 676, was sold in our Paris rooms, 12^th June 2008, lot 44.

The Xuande lianzi bowl is based on the Yongle bowl of the same proportions. Compare a Yongle bowl, also from the Carl Kempe collection, but with a single tier of lotus petals, published ibid., pl. 686, and later sold in our Paris rooms, 12^th June 2008, lot 40; and another from the Donald S. Morrison collection, sold in our New York rooms, 4^th June 1982, lot 214, and sold in these rooms, 17^th May 1988, lot 36.