A MINIATURE BLUE AND WHITE LOBED 'FLORAL' MEDICINE DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING

delicately potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a flared lobed rim, the sides gently detailed with incised swirls to simulate petals, the interior decorated in underglaze blue with a double-line medallion framing a central floral bloom wreathed by stylised foliage, all within a double-line undulating border at the rim, the exterior picked out with a frieze enclosing a composite floral scroll within double-line bands, the base with a six-character reign mark within a circle, the fitted brocade box with a title slip inscribed by contemporary ink artist Lian Liang

There are small areas of overpainting to the rim, but otherwise it is in good condition.
"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."

Elegantly modelled with fluidly incised petals, this charming dish appears to take the form of a mallow flower, a shape that was used at Jingdezhen since the early Ming period. While vessels of this form continued to be produced later in the dynasty, albeit in small numbers, those of such miniature size are very rare, and only one other dish of this form, but painted with dragons, appears to be known, sold in these rooms, 27th April 1993, lot 42.

For the prototype of this silhouette, see a Xuande mark and period dish of much larger size and covered in a celadon glaze, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Ming Xuande ciqi tezhan mulu [Special exhibition of Xuande wares], Taipei, 1980, cat. no. 100.