A FINE CELADON-GLAZED BASIN SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the shallow rounded sides slightly flaring out from a protruding foot, encircled by a single raised fillet, very finely incised on the interior with a wide roundel centred with a lotus blossom wreathed by four interlocked archaistic chilong, two with incurved horns and two others with bifid tails, surrounded on the walls by five further lotus blossoms flanked by angular scrolls, repeated around the exterior below an archaistic border at the rim, applied overall with an even pale sea-green glaze pooling to a darker tone within the incised decorations, the footring and recessed base glazed, save for a round circle left in the biscuit and dressed in an orange wash in imitation of the Song dynasty Longquan ware, the latter centred in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark   

Collection of Baron Denzaburo Fujita (1841-1912).
Fujita family collection.

The overall condition is very good with only a minor flake to the glazed foot and an old minute glaze flake on the rim. The actual colour is slightly tiny bit more yellow than 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."

A closely related example was sold twice in these rooms, 20^th May 1980, lot 77, and again, 24^th November 1987, lot 117. Basins of this type were inspired by celadon saucer dishes made in the Ming dynasty and were first revived in the Yongzheng period; compare a large fifteenth century saucer dish illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi  Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pl. 318; and a Yongzheng mark and period basin freely engraved with a Ming-style peony spray, sold at Christie’s London, 12^th December 1988, lot 332.

A plain washer of this form with a Qianlong mark and of the period, but of smaller dimensions and covered in a Ru-type glaze, from the J.M. Hu collection, was sold in our New York rooms, 4^th June 1985, lot 47, and again at Christie’s New York, 20^th September 2005, lot 291, from the Rodriguez collection.

The Fujita Museum in Osaka houses over 5000 pieces of Chinese and Japanese works of art collected by Baron Denzaburo Fujita (1841-1912) and opened to the public in 1954. Of these, nine pieces have been designated as National Treasures, including the famous Yohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl, and fifty are designated as important cultural assets. Baron Denzaburo Fujita was a leading industrialist, politician and one of the greatest tea masters of the Meiji period and was acclaimed to have the best private collection in the Kansai region. Following his death, part of his collection was sold at auction.