清康熙 御製模印葫蘆團壽蓮紋盌 《康熙賞玩》款

the rounded sides supported on a short foot rising to a slightly everted rim, the exterior crisply moulded with four shou medallions interspersed with meandering lotus scrolls, all between key-fret borders encircling the mouthrim and foot, the interior lacquered black, the naturally formed underside moulded with a four-character reign mark Kangxi shangwan ('Appreciated by the Kangxi Emperor'), the gourd of a warm honey-brown tone

香港佳士得1992年3月31日，編號901
瑪麗及莊智博收藏
香港蘇富比2005年10月23日，編號76

The exterior of the bowl has a few fine age cracks, including one running across one of the shou medallion. The overall condition is otherwise very good. The actual colour is more toffee-brown, less orange than on the catalogue illustration.
"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 major period of development in the moulding of gourds started when the Kangxi emperor commissioned gourd vessels to be made in the Palace Workshop which transformed what was originally a folk art into an imperial art form. For a detailed discussion of the early history of moulded imperial gourds see Wang Shixiang, ‘Moulded Gourds’, Gugong Bowuyuan yuankan, 1979, no. 1, pp. 86-91, translated by Craig Clunas in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, no. 10, 1981, pp. 16-30.

A closely related bowl with similar lacquered interior and bearing a Kangxi shangwan ('Appreciated by the Kangxi Emperor') mark on its base, was sold twice in these rooms, 29th November 1978, lot 393, and again, 8th October 2010, lot 2185. Another bowl from this group but of more rounded shape, from the collection of Mary and George Bloch, was sold in these rooms, 30th December 1991, lot 341, and again, 23rd October 2005, lot 128. Compare also a bowl, in the Eugene Fuller Memorial collection, Seattle Art Museum, illustrated in J.M. Addis, ‘Impressed Gourds’, Oriental Art, vol. X, Spring, 1964, p. 28, fig. 2.

The tradition of making such bowls continued in the 18th century with the Kangxi bowls serving as prototypes for Qianlong period examples; see three from the collection of Sir John Addis and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, Singapore, 1996, two bearing Qianlong shangwan marks on the base, pls. 79-80, and the third unmarked but attributed to the Qianlong period, pl. 82. Another Qianlong mark and period moulded gourd bowl, illustrated in a number of publications including Gerard Tsang and Hugh Moss, ‘Chinese Gourds’, International Asian Antiques Fair, Hong Kong, 1983, p. 52, pl. 4, was sold in these rooms, 8th October 2009, lot 1815.