A CORAL-GROUND FAMILLE-VERTE AND GILT-DECORATED 'BOYS' BOWL SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAQING

the deep rounded sides resting on a short foot, the exterior decorated in gilt and famille-verte with a continuous scene depicting groups of boys engaging in various leisurely pursuits in a fenced garden, including one holding a long lotus stem, another washing his hands in a large basin, some gathered in groups, the figures dressed in loose robes and rendered with joyful expressions, the setting laden with large plantain leaves, craggy rockwork and overhanging pine trees with a moutainous background, the foot bordered with a gilt scroll band, all against a warm coral-red ground, the white base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark

In overall good condition. There is insignificant tubing to the gilding not at the rim and slight polishing at the foot. The colour is a slight deeper and more attractive red in reality.
"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."

A closely related bowl in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains of Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 159; one in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in Lu Minghua, Qingdai Yongzheng-Xuantong guanyao ciqi [Qing dynasty official wares from the Yongzheng to the Xuantong reigns], Shanghai, 2014, pl. 3-88; another, in the Hong Kong Museum of Art, was included in the Museum’s exhibition The Wonders of the Potter’s Palette, Hong Kong, 1984, cat. no. 93; and a further bowl, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition Ch’ing Polychrome Porcelain, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 100, was sold at Christie’s London, 13th December 1982, lot 528.

For the prototype of this design, see a Kangxi mark and period bowl illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV. Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 104.

This charming bowl is painted with the motif of boys at play in a fenced garden, which represents the wish for many sons. Each boy is engaged in activities that are filled with auspicious meaning, such as the boy holding a lotus spray, which represents the wish for descendants to live in harmony (zisun hehe), and another carrying a vase (ping), which is homophonous with peace.