A YELLOW-GROUND GREEN-ENAMELLED SAUCER DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING

with rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to a flaring rim, the interior incised and painted in green enamel with a central medallion enclosing a leafy floral spray within double-line borders, surrounded by six alternating flowering and fruiting sprays at the cavetto below a line border, the decoration repeated on the exterior, all reserved on a yellow ground of rich egg-yolk tone, the yellow base incised with a six-character reign mark within a double circle in green enamel

Sotheby's London, 21st March 1961, lot 40 (£310, one of a pair).
John Sparks Ltd, London, 1961 (£310, one of a pair).
Collection of Roger Pilkington (1928-69), from 1961 (£310, one of a pair).

Adrian Joseph, Ming Porcelains: Their Origins and Development, London, 1971, back cover and pl. 76.

There are four short hairlines to the rim at the 1, 3, 5 and 9 o'clock positions. There is also wear to the yellow glaze at the centre of the reign mark, all visible from the catalogue illustration.
"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."

Dishes decorated with this charming design are more commonly known in larger size, such as one in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in Lu Minghua, Shanghai Bowuguan cangpin yanjiu daxi/Studies of the Shanghai Museum Collections: A Series of Monographs. Mingdai guanyao ciqi [Ming imperial porcelain], Shanghai, 2007, pl. 1-63; another in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, included in the Museum’s exhibition Gen Min no tōji [Exhibition of Yuan and Ming ceramics], Tokyo, 1977, cat. no. 85; one, from the H.R.N. Norton collection, sold in our London rooms, 5th November 1963, lot 181; and a fourth dish sold at Christie’s London, 21st June 2001, lot 82.