A PAIR OF YELLOW AND GREEN ENAMELLED 'BOYS' BOWLS MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

each with full rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot to a flared rim, the exterior exquisitely incised with a continuous scene of boys at play in a balustraded garden, some playing the drums or the cymbals, others simply waving toys, with two pine trees dividing the scene and the swirling waters of a lake beyond, all between a border of upright lappets at the base and a stylised floral border at the rim, the designs picked out in brilliant apple-green enamel against a yellow ground, the interior glazed yellow, the countersunk base glazed white and inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark

Hirano Kotoken, Osaka.
Acquired in Japan, 1990.

Hirano Kotoken honten shinchiku kinen: Chugoku kotoji ten, Osaka, 1990, cat. no. 61.

There are three tiny shallow firing cracks and a 1 cm associated shallow chip to the unglazed footring of one bowl. That bowl also has a 2 mm glaze pull to the base. The other bowl has a 6 mm glaze pull and some iron spots to the interior. The overall condition of the pair is otherwise good except for some surface scratches.
"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."

A closely related bowl is illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994, vol. 2, pl. 895; one is included in Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, pl. 103; and pair is published in John Ayers, The Baur Collection Geneva. Chinese Ceramics, vol. 4, 1972, nos A540 and A541. See also three bowls sold in these rooms, one from the Hall Family Collection, 2nd May 2000, lot 535, another, 9th October 2007, lot 1610, and the third, 8th October 2008, lot 2511.

The design appears to have been inspired by a Jiajing prototype; see one in the Baur collection illustrated in John Ayers, op. cit., vol. 2, no. A166.