A RARE BLUE AND WHITE BARBED CUPSTAND MING DYNASTY, HONGWU PERIOD |

the shallow rounded sides rising to a barbed everted rim divided into eight bracket foliations, moulded on the interior with a central raised ring and around the exterior with crisp radiating ridges dividing the lobes, finely decorated overall in shaded tones of cobalt accented with 'heaping and piling', the slightly recessed centre medallion with a leafy lotus spray, surrounded by a foliate lingzhi scroll and eight sprigs of lotus around the cavetto, each carefully rendered with different blooms and fanciful curly foliage, the rim detailed with a classic scroll, the central ring picked out with pendent lappets, the exterior painted with petal lappets on each lobe, the recessed and bevelled footring left unglazed

Sotheby's London, 28th June 1966, lot 71.
Sotheby's London, 18th May 1971, lot 181.

In very good condition, with only minor shallow kiln flakes to the footring, short firing lines to the unglazed base and centre of the interior well at around 7 o'clock position, all original to the firing.
"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."

A very similar cupstand from the collections of Jean-Pierre Dubosc and Mr and Mrs John A. Pope, was included in the exhibition Mostra d’Arte Cinese/Exhibition of Chinese Art, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 611; another from the collection of Dr H.P. Stevens, was sold in our London rooms, 28th June 1966, lot 70; one with a lotus spray in the centre, in the Capital Museum, Beijing, is published in Shoudu Bowuguan cang ci xuan [Selection of porcelains from the Capital Museum], Beijing, 1991, pl. 86; and a fourth example from the Edward T. Chow and Myron S. Falk collections, is published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4, pt. I, London, 2010, pl. 1627. A cupstand of this type with a lotus scroll replacing the chrysanthemums was excavated from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kilns at Zhushan, Jingdezhen, and included in the exhibition Jingdezhen chutu Ming chu guanyao ciqi/Imperial Hongwu and Yongle Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1996, cat. no. 17.

Compare also a copper-red version of the present dish, from the Meiyintang collection, published in Krahl, op. cit., vol. 2, pl. 644, sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 44.