A PAIR OF DOUCAI 'FLORAL' BOWLS JIAQING SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD |

each finely potted with rounded sides rising from a short foot to a gently flaring rim, delicately enameled on the interior with a medallion of composite iron-red, white and blue-petaled flowers encircled by a band of diaper cells enclosing red florets and further wreathed by interlocked blue and green strapwork, all below double-line borders at the rim, the exterior with six similar clusters of flowers springing from the foot and framed by interlocked foliate scrolls forming strapwork panels, all below a yellow-ground band of underglaze blue ruyi at the rim, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue (2)

South American Private Collection.
Sotheby's New York, 27th March 1996, lot 210.

One bowl is in good condition. The other bowl has an approx. 3-cm hairline crack from the rim and a small restored chip to the rim.
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.

This ornate, lively pattern was designed during the Yongzheng period and reproduced by successive Qing emperors. It is rare to find a bowl of this pattern bearing a Jiaqing mark; most examples date from the Yongzheng and Daoguang periods. For a Yongzheng period example see a reconstructed bowl illustrated in Gu taoci ziliao xuancui [Selection of ancient ceramics], vol. 2, Beijing, 2005, pl. 143 and a pair that sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th October 2016, lot 3624. A Jiaqing bowl of this form and decoration is illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 362.