A CLOISONNE ENAMEL BOWL MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

the steep rounded sides rising from a splayed foot to a flaring rim, the interior central medallion with a carp emerging from swirling waves beneath a colorful sun, the cavetto with four horses frolicking above cresting waves between bands of scrolls, the exterior with the 'Three Friends of Winter,' all against a blue ground, the base with a red lotus surrounded by scrolled clouds

European Private Collection (by repute).

The bowl has minor dents to the rim making it slightly uneven. There is restoration to enamel loss, particularly around the mouth and foot rims. There appears to have been some consolidation where the base of the bowl meets the foot. The bowl has been cleaned and polished.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A closely related 16th century cloisonné bowl bearing the 'Three Friends of Winter' motif in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, was included in the exhibition Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels form the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, Bard Graduate Center, New York, 2011, cat. no. 46. A pair of bowls of the same date and design sold at Wooley & Wallis, 22nd May 2007, lot 93. The 'Three Friends' also appear on contemporaneous cloisonné works of other shapes, for example a baluster vase in the Pierre Uldry Collection, illustrated in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pl. 91.