Lot 41
  • 41

A BLUE AND WHITE 'THREE FRIENDS' STEMBOWL MING DYNASTY, CHENGHUA PERIOD

Estimate
1,000,000 - 1,500,000 HKD
bidding is closed

Description

the bowl with wide flaring sides supported on a tall, slightly splayed stem, the interior centred with a medallion showing the 'Three Friends of Winter,' a tall pine tree with two stems of bamboo and prunus branches growing from an uneven ground, all encircled by a double-line border repeated at the rim, the walls left plain, the exterior similarly decorated with twisted pine bearing clusters of needles, a gnarled prunus tree and three shoots of bamboo, interspersed with flowering shrubs and lingzhi on the ground and clouds above, all between double-line borders, the base of the stem encircled with a band of key-fret, the fine porcelain body deftly painted in shades of soft cobalt blue and covered overall with a smooth glossy glaze

Exhibited

Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, The British Museum, London, 1994.

Literature

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 679.

Condition

A C-shape section of the bowl is restored, the original broken section extending roughly from the top of the pine tree down to the ground and back to the top of the prunus tree on the outside (approx. 13 x 7 cm.). There is an associated hairline crack issuing from the break and extending horizontally on the side on approx. 4 cm. There is a 0.5 cm chip restored at the rim above the bamboo tree. The colour of the actual piece is slightly less saturated comparing to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Catalogue Note

A stembowl of this design from the Qing court collection and still in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red, vol. 2, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 30, where it is attributed to the Chenghua period; another from the collection of F.B.C. Bravington, sold four times in our rooms (in London 7th February 1967, lot 84, and 1st April 1974, lot 199, and in Hong Kong, 28th November 1979, lot 92, and 17th May 1988, lot 26), is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Herzman collection, illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, The Herzman Collection of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1992, pl. 68, also attributed to the Chenghua period. Another stem bowl of this design was sold at Christie’s London, 10th June 1991, lot 121.