A PAIR OF FAMILLE-ROSE ‘FLORAL’ BOWLS YONGZHENG MARKS AND PERIOD

each with deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a gently flared rim, variously painted to the exterior in the boneless technique with two butterflies in flight among leafy flowering branches, one with crabapple and aster, the other with chrysanthemum and peony, the interior painted with an orchid bloom, inscribed to the base with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle

Peter Boode, London, ca. 1950.
An English Private Collection.

The bowls are slightly misfired with minute black spots around the exterior rim and base. There are minor enamel wear and shallow chips to the foot. General glaze firing imperfections.
"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."

These bowls are notable for their style of painting which reflects the innovative developments and fresh confidence of craftsmen working during the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign. Painted in a technique known as the ‘boneless style’ for its virtually skeleton and outline-free design, the only lines incorporated into the composition are the black lines used to define the veins on the leaves and butterflies. Although this technique was known in painting from the Ming period, it was not widely used on porcelain decoration, most likely because it was too complicated to use on a mass-production scale. It represented a great challenge to the artists as lesser-skilled painters would require outlines to complete their sections of decoration, and if not handled correctly it would give the impression that the piece was unfinished.

 

A closely related bowl was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 18^th May 1988, lot 264, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2^nd November 1999, lot 522; a pair of bowls sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 14^th May 1983, lot 196; and a single bowl, from the Edward T. Chow collection, also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19^th May 1981, lot 605. Another pair of similar bowls, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 964, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8^th April 2013, lot 13.

 

See further bowls painted with designs in the ‘boneless style’, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Falangcai and Famille-Rose, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 73; and two pairs of bowls published in The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV, Hong Kong, 1995, pls 150 and 151.