A FINE DOUCAI 'BAT AND CLOUD' CUP MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

finely potted with rounded sides rising from a short foot, the exterior exquisitely painted with iron-red outstretched bats in flight, soaring amidst ruyi-shaped clouds brilliantly enamelled in mauve, yellow, green and blue, all between two single-line borders, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle

Mayuyama & Co Ltd.

Hosokawa Morisada Collection ten II – Shinno jiki, Persia no touki [Morisada Hosokawa Collection exhibition II – Qing porcelains and Persian ceramics], Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, Kumamoto, 1993, cat. no. 28.

Morisada Hosokawa, Mokumei Goshiki: Shinchō jiki [Bewildering colours: Qing Dynasty porcelains], Tokyo, 1992, no. 60.

The cup is in overall good condition. The foot has a body line of approx. 1 cm and a few minor kiln grits. The enamel has some typical bubbling, but it has been generally well preserved with only very minor losses.
"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."

This cup is notable for the subtle variation of the traditional doucai palette as seen in the delicate use of three different shades of green and opaque blue enamels. Overglaze blue enamel was introduced during the Kangxi emperor’s reign when it was initially imported from Europe and produced locally from the sixth year of Yongzheng. While a common feature of famille verte decorated and falangcai porcelain, it is not commonly seen on doucai wares, which typically only incorporated underglaze blue; for an example of the more typical Yongzheng doucai palatte, see a bottle vase sold in these rooms, 8th April 2010, lot 1862.

A closely related pair of cups, from the collection of James and Marilynn Alsdorf, was sold in our London rooms, 18th May 1971, lot 235, again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 23rd March 1993, lot 749, and in these rooms, 27th April 1999, lot 433; and another pair was sold at Christie’s New York, 21st September 2000, lot 359. Slightly larger bowls of this type are more commonly known; see one in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 165; a pair from the Paul and Helen Bernat collection sold in these rooms, 15th November 1988, lot 1, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 20th March 1990, lot 656; and another pair sold twice in these rooms, 29th October 2001, lot 511, and 2nd May 2005, lot 602.

The motif of bats and clouds represents the wish for ‘vast happiness piled up to the sky’. The symbol of red bats combined with coloured clouds symbolise the upper limits of heaven (hongfu qitian). The clouds also form a pun, since the word for ‘cloud’ (yun), is homophonous to the word for luck, and they are considered benevolent due to their ability to supply water. Auspicious rainbow-coloured clouds are often depicted in lingzhi (longevity fungus) form, as the lingzhi itself has the form of the wish-granting ruyi (‘as you wish’) sceptre.