A fine white-glazed anhua-decorated 'bajixiang' stem bowl, Mark and period of Yongzheng | 清雍正 白釉暗刻八吉祥高足盌 《大清雍正年製》款

Notable for its pristine white glaze, refined form and delicate anhua or ‘hidden decoration’, this elegant stem bowl derives its design from prototypes made in the early Ming dynasty. The Yongzheng Emperor revered and studied these wares, and a monochrome white stem bowl was included in the handscroll Guwantu [Pictures of antiquities] from 1729, now housed in the London Victoria and Albert Museum, which depicts treasured objects in the imperial collection (China. The Three Emperors. 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 169, p. 255 bottom right). According to the Qing Imperial archives, the Yongzheng Emperor was actively involved in their production, in 1732 issuing a decree to “make several stem bowls in each of these colours: sacrificial red, sacrificial blue, yellow and white. Also have some heavier pieces ready for bestowal on Mongolian nobles as occasions arise” (The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV. Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, p. 45).