A FINE AND RARE GREEN-ENAMELED 'DRAGON' DISH HONGZHI MARK AND PERIOD |

the deep rounded sides rising from a tapered foot to a flared rim, finely carved in the biscuit and enameled in bright translucent green enamel, the interior with a sinuous five-clawed dragon writhing amid scrolling clouds within a line border repeated at the rim, the exterior decorated with two further dragons striding on a ground of finely incised foaming waves between line borders, the base with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, two Japanese wood boxes (5)

Christie's London, 14th June 1982, lot 95.
Hirano Koto-ken, Tokyo, May 1986.

Chūgoku Bijutsu Ten [Chinese Art Exhibition], Hirano Koto-ken, Tokoyo, 1986.

Overall in good condition with very light scratches and minor wear to the enamels. The rim very lightly 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.

Dishes decorated with sinuous dragons enameled in green against a white ground originated in the Chenghua period (1465-1487), but increased in popularity in the succeeding Hongzhi (1488-1505) and Zhengde (1506-1521) reigns. While Chenghua prototypes are also known with the dragons enameled over the glaze, later examples, such as this dish, were almost all enameled over the biscuit. The dishes were first incised and the dragon silhouettes reserved in the biscuit during firing and then filled with green enamel for a second firing.  

Four Hongzhi mark and period dishes of this design and size, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Imperial Porcelains from the Reign of Hongzhi and Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2017, pls 53 and 56-58, together with two slightly larger dishes, pls 54 and 55; a dish from the collection of Sir John Addis, now in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pl. 7:17; and another in the Meiyintang Collection is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 693. Further examples were sold at auction, for example, a dish from the collections of Mr and Mrs R.H.R. Palmer and Roger Pilkington, sold in our London rooms in 1962, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 6th April 2016, lot 30.