清光緒 粉彩萬花堆大盤 《儲秀宮製》款

painted on the interior and exterior in famille-rose enamels and iron-red with a dense profusion of flowers arranged in an overall scroll pattern, the rim gilded and the base covered in a rich turquoise enamel except around the four-character Chu xiu gong zhi (The Palace for Gathering Elegance) mark in iron-red, carved wood stand inset with a pale celadon jade plaque (2)

Oriental Fine Arts，馬尼拉，1996年

Some rubbing to gilt rim edge, otherwise in good condition.
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.

The mille fleurs pattern – in Chinese wan hua dui, 'ten thousand flowers piled up', or bai hua tu, 'hundred flowers design' – with its joyful evocation of nature's abundance is such a universally appealing motif that it is extremely well known despite being exceedingly rare. Though the design was developed in the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) it continued to be admired and gained more popularity in subsequent reign periods where the design was applied to bowls, cups, boxes and vases.  With its multitude of enamel colors, its complex densely interwoven layout, naturalistic representation of blooms and leaves with sophisticated shading and an astonishing attention to detail, this design was one of the most challenging for the imperial porcelain painters to master.