A PAIR OF FAMILLE-ROSE 'PEONY AND MAGNOLIA' BOWLS YONGZHENG MARKS AND PERIOD

each of ogee form, the deep sides with a constricted waist, rising from a gently splayed foot to a flared rim, brightly decorated to the exterior with three large peony blooms, two in iron-red and one in pink and white enamels, borne on meandering leafy branches rising from just above the foot, all entwined amongst flowering and budding branches of magnolia and crabapple, the interior left plain, inscribed to the base with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle, wood stands

Collection of Highfield Jones, prior to 1975.
Collection of Mrs C.C. Brinton.

One bowl with a tiny chip to the rim, the other with a small glaze pull near the base of the interior, and an approx. 0.7cm glaze hairline above the magnolia, but in overall good condition. Both with areas of small loss to the enamels and tiny burst bubbles around the rim.
"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."

Innovative floral designs continued to flourish during the Yongzheng reign and these bowls exemplify this trend with their combination of flowers that extend across the exterior. Such developments are the product of the creative genius of Tang Ying (1682-1756), the superintendent at the Imperial kilns during the Yongzheng and early Qianlong reigns. Tang experimented with the use of arsenic lead-white enamel, which opened up the possibility of creating a new spectrum of pastel colours and hence innovative painting styles. The rendering of the peonies and magnolia on these bowls was inspired by the flower paintings of one of China’s most celebrated artist, Yun Shouping (1633-1690). Yun’s flowers, often painted in bold colours such as reds, purples and greens, were shaded through the use of lead-white in much the same way the new arsenic lead-white was used on porcelain.

A very similar pair of ogee bowls was sold at Christie’s New York, 20^th November 1979, lot 272. See also a slightly smaller bowl of similar ogee form, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qing Porcelain of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 1989, pl. 47; and another sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 17^th November 1975, lot 119.  

The design on these bowls is steeped in auspicious symbolism; as the combination of peonies (fuguihua), magnolia (yulan) and crab apple (haitang) forms the auspicious wish yutang fugui (‘May your house be blessed with wealth and honour’).