A fine pair of doucai 'shoulao' dishes Yongzheng marks and period

each with shallow rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to an everted rim, finely painted and enamelled to the interior with a medallion enclosing Shoulao crossing a river in a log raft, with a crane in flight alongside, the exterior with bamboo and ruyi issuing from rockwork

These finely painted dishes are in very good condition with the exception of very minor glaze firing imperfections including a tiny frit to one rim and three glaze pinholes to the exterior base of the other, and minor glaze scratches.
"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 pair of dishes was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 26^th September 1989, lot 739; and a slightly larger dish was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 2^nd November 1974, lot 584. Dishes of this type appear to belong to a group that were similarly decorated with a central scene and plain well on the interior and lingzhi and bamboo issuing from rockwork on the exterior; see a dish depicting a Daoist immortal with attendant in a landscape, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 29^th November 1977, lot 183; and another delicately painted with a landscape scene, from the collections of H.M. Knight and Paul and Helen Bernat, sold in these rooms, 12^th May 1970, lot 93, and twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 15^th November 1988, lot 13, and 30^thOctober 2000, lot 155.

 

Compare a smaller doucai dish also depicting Shoulao but sitting under a tree, the well decorated with the bajixiang and the Eight Daoist Immortals on the reverse, attributed to the Yongzheng period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in the Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 219; and a pair from the Paul and Helen Bernat collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 15^th November 1988, lot 12.