A FINE PAIR OF BLUE AND YELLOW 'DRAGON' BOWLS QIANLONG SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD

each with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot to an everted rim, freely painted in reverse in rich cobalt-blue tones and heightened in yellow with two five-clawed scaly dragons in pursuit of a flaming pearl, all amidst fire and cloud scrolls and above a lotus lappet band, the interior with a dragon medallion, the base with seal mark in underglaze-blue

S Marchant & Sons, London, 1965.
Collection of Anthony Evans.

These bowls are in good condition, but have some minor glaze scratches to the interior.
"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."

Two-coloured bowls of this type decorated with five-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl were the customary wares used at the Qing court during Imperial family banquets. According to Palace records, during the Qianlong reign blue-ground bowls with yellow dragons were reserved for fifth-rank consorts (pei), while yellow-ground bowls with green-glazed dragons were used by fourth-rank consorts (fei), and green bowls with aubergine dragons were used by sixth-rank ladies (see the exhibition catalogue Splendor of China’s Forbidden City. The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, The Field Museum, Chicago, 2004, p. 202).

Compare a closely related pair of bowls from the collection of Frances H. Horne, sold in our New York rooms, 1^st/2^nd June 1993, lot 41; a single bowl sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 20^th November 1984, lot 433; another, sold at Christie’s New York, 1^st June 1990, lot 279; and a fourth example sold at Christie’s London, 17^th June 2003, lot 40. See also a slightly larger bowl, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition Splendor of China’s Forbidden City, ibid., cat. no. 252; and another from the collection of R.I.C. Herridge, sold in these rooms, 8^th/9^th July 1974, lot 367, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 29^th November 1978, lot 352.

For a prototype of this design, compare a blue-and-yellow dragon bowl with a Kangxi (1662-1722) mark and of the period, in the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 72; and a Yongzheng (1723-1735) mark and period example, from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains, Plain Tricoloured Porcelains, Shanghai, 2009, pl. 64.