A DOUCAI 'WANG XIZHI' CUP QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

delicately potted with deep rounded sides resting on a countersunk base, the exterior brilliantly enamelled with a continuous scene depicting Wang Xizhi dressed in a green robe, seated within a fenced garden and waited on by an attendant, gazing at a geese in the water, while another scholar and attendant look on nearby under a pine tree, the base with an apocryphal six-character Chenghua mark in underglaze blue within a double square

Collection of P.J. Donnelly (d. 1978).

There is a 4.5cm piece that has broken from the rim (into five pieces) and restored.
"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."

Cups painted with this elegant design include one from the collection of Peter Boode, sold twice in these rooms, 2nd/3rd December 1974, lot 191, and 5th July 1977, lot 259; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 3095.

For the prototype of this motif, see a pair of Chenghua mark and period cups, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu/ Ceramic Art of the World, vol. 14, Tokyo, 1976, pl. 56.