A PAIR OF RARE DOUCAI DISHES YONGZHENG MARKS AND PERIOD

each with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot, the interior painted in underglaze blue and bright enamels with a central circular medallion with a multi-coloured ribbon spiral bordered with yellow petals, the exterior with two lotus sprays alternating with three interlinking lozenges with entwined foliate scrolls, the base with six-character mark in underglaze blue

Sotheby's London, 29th February 1972, lot 250 (£320).

One dish is in good condition and the other has a small area of restoration to the rim, approx. 4 by 2mm. There is also a small burst bubble to the rim with an associated approx. 6mm glaze crack to the exterior. There are some minor iron spots to the glaze to the interior of each dish.
"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."

This charming pair of dishes closely follow in both design and choice of palette the celebrated doucai wares of the Chenghua reign, such as a dish excavated from the waste heaps of the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, included in the exhibition A Legacy of Chenghua, The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. C116.

A closely related example was sold in these rooms, 3rd April 1979, lot 169; another was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th May 2006, lot 1435; and a pair was sold in our New York rooms, 14th September 2011, lot 342. See also a reconstructed dish of this type, with Yongzheng mark and of the period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong bowuguan cang. Gu taoci ciliao xuancui [Selection of ancient ceramic materials from the Palace Museum], vol. II, Beijing, 2005, pl. 147.