A BLUE AND WHITE 'LOTUS BOUQUET' CHARGER MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

with shallow rounded sides resting on a gently tapered foot, the interior painted in rich cobalt-blue tones with a large central medallion enclosing a lotus bouquet, surrounded by a frieze of composite floral scroll repeated on the exterior, the inner and outer rims bordered with classic scroll and key-fret bands respectively, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle

The charger is in good condition with expected light surface scratches. It is slightly warped and there are minor firing imperfections, including fritting to the rim and a burst bubble with an associated star crackle to the base.
"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."

The current charger belongs to a group of wares produced during the Yongzheng period with the design deeply rooted in the Yongle and Xuande period prototypes that were developed in the Jingdezhen kilns in the early Ming dynasty. The lotus bouquet, with its beribboned cluster of lotus blooms, leaves and water weeds, is borrowed from a popular motif that was first employed in the Yongle period and an example from the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, no. 665, was sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 37. In the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, this design was revived and produced in various dimensions; early Ming prototypes from the Palace collection were sent to the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen as standards for quality and models for designs, so the craftsmen were able to not only emulate closely but also go above and beyond with the aid of the contemporary technological advancements.

Two smaller Yongzheng examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong bowuyuan cang Ming chu qinghua ci [Early Ming blue-and-white porcelain in the Palace Museum], vol. 2, Beijing, 2002, pls 195 and 199. Comparable examples sold at auction include three sold in these rooms, the first, 10th April 2006, lot 1688; another, 20th May 1986, lot 42; and the third, 20th May 1987, lot 441, from the collection of R.I.C. Herridge Esq.

For related dishes of varying sizes with a yellow-enamelled ground also from the Yongzheng period, see two from the collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee; the first (39.6 cm), decorated against a yellow ground save for the white-ground reign mark on the base, to be offered in Important Chinese Art from the Collection of Sir Quo-Wei Lee II, lot 105; and the second (21.5 cm), with a yellow-ground reign mark, sold in these rooms, 19th May 1981, lot 584, from the collection of Edward T. Chow, and again, 3rd October 2018, lot 108.