A FINE FAMILLE-ROSE YELLOW-GROUND 'FLORAL' BOWL, DAOGUANG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD |

the deep rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to a gently flared rim, the exterior brightly enameled with six vivid, large blooms including peony, chrysanthemum, lotus and hibiscus on interlocking dense scrolling leafy stems issuing smaller blossoms and tender buds, all reserved on a rich yellow ground, the interior decorated in the center with five iron-red bats swooping in varying directions, the base with the six-character seal mark in underglaze-blue    

West Coast Private Collection. 
Christie’s New York, 28th March 1996, lot 407.

In overall good condition with some minor firing imperfections, including a few very shallow kiln flakes to the foot.
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.

Yellow-ground bowls profusely painted with flowers in the famille-rose palette originated in the Kangxi period and continued to be produced in the imperial kilns through the end of the Qing dynasty. The compositional complexity and choice of flora varied. The present example belongs to the most ornate class of bowls of this type. The exterior is sumptuously ornamented with assorted flowers, each type imparting a particular auspicious meaning. The symbolism continues on the interior, where the five soaring bats (wufu) represent a wish for the owner to enjoy the 'Five Blessings' of longevity, health, wealth, love of virtue, and peaceful death. A closely related Daoguang mark and period bowl of this type in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum is illustrated in Rose Kerr, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911, London, 1986, pl. 106; another, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is included in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Greatest Collections, vol. 12, Tokyo, 1977, pl. 163; and a third is illustrated in Hugh Moss, By Imperial Command, Hong Kong, 1976, pl. 8. Compare a closely related bowl sold in our London rooms, 9th November 2011, lot 472; another sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 4020; a third sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 3024 and a fourth in these rooms, 13th September 2017, lot 34.