A BLUE AND YELLOW 'LOTUS BOUQUET' DISH SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to a lipped rim, finely painted in shades of cobalt blue against a bright yellow enamelled ground, the interior with a ribboned bouquet of lotus and other water plants, surrounded on the sides by a composite flower scroll of paired roses, lotus, camellias and other blossoms, all below a 'classic' scroll border at the rim, the exterior similarly decorated with a composite flower scroll between a double blue line around the foot and a band of key-fret at the rim, the base enamelled yellow and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark within a square panel reserved in white

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 763.

There is an approx. 2.5 cm. hairline crack to the rim, otherwise the overall condition of the dish is quite good. There are some very minor enamel flakes to the exterior and a small burst air bubble to the central medallion.
"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."

Dishes of this design, which originated in blue-and-white in the Yongle period (1403-24), were copied both in the Yongzheng (1723-35) and Qianlong (1736-95) reigns, with and without yellow enamel to cover the background. They come in a variety of sizes, both smaller and larger than the present dish.

A similar dish is illustrated together with a pair of dishes of Yongzheng mark and period of this design and size, in The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV: Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, pls. 91 and 69, the Qianlong example sold at Christie’s New York 22nd April 1999, lot 335. Another Qianlong dish of this design from the collection of Lorant Goldschlager of Monte Carlo was sold at Christie’s London, 4th June 1973, lot 181.

Compare also a larger dish of this design of Yongzheng mark and period, with the borders at the rim inside and out, and above the foot additionally covered with green enamel, also in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Krahl, op.cit., vol. 2, no. 762, and sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 74; as well as two Yongle prototypes in blue-and-white, both of larger size and with the lotus bouquet curved to one side as if swaying in a breeze, Krahl, op.cit., vol. 2, nos. 665 and 666, the former sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 37.