A Rare Blue and White 'Lotus' Dish Mark and Period of Wanli

the rounded sides rising to a barbed rim in the form of sixteen moulded lotus petals, the exterior with each petal enclosing a Tibetan character alternating with a floral bloom, the sides interrupted by a further row of moulded triangular petal tips with freely painted linear strokes, all above a lappet band encircling the underside, a single-line band bordering the foot, the interior with a central medallion enclosing a Tibetan character, encircled by two moulded rows of overlapping petals, the concave inner petals dotted and decorated with elongated trefoil motifs, the outer with trefoil motifs detailed with swirls, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within double circles

Bluett & Sons, London.
S. Marchant & Son, London.

There is a firing fissure of 1cm x 0.1cm beneath the rim on the backside running vertically right between the 2 petals on the 9 O'clock position, and an associated hairline to the interior, of around 2 cm, of most part beneath the glaze. As expected, the tips of a few of the petals on the rim as well as the underside are worn and slightly flaked. Otherwise the dish is in very good condition.
"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."

Closely related examples include a dish illustrated in Minji meihin zuroku [Illustrated catalogue of important Ming porcelains], vol. 3, Tokyo, 1978, pl. 90; one published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, pl. 113; another illustrated in John Ayers, The Baur Collection, Chinese Ceramics, vol. 2, Genèva, 1969, pl. A185; and a fourth example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, included in Suzanne E. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 177, where it is suggested that dishes of this type were produced in the latter years of the Wanli reign, see p. 197. A dish of this type was sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 1369; and another was sold in our New York rooms, 1st June 1988, lot 147.