Lot Essay
The design and colour palette of the present bowl first appeared on Kangxi period falangcai yuzhi bowls, such as an example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum:Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 4, no. 2, and transformed on famille verte porcelain during the Yongzheng period. A rare example of such, from the Stephen Junkunc III Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 21 September 1995, lot 200, where the design is much closer in composition to the present bowl than the Kangxi examples.
While bowls of this design became very popular during the 19th century, it is rare to find an example from the Qianlong period. One example from the British Rail Pension Fund was exhibited in Splendor of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1992, no. 159, and subsequently sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Important Chinese Porcelain, Enamels and Jade Carvings from the Works of Art Collection of the British Rail Pension Fund, 16 May 1989, lot 81. The same bowl was later published in The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics, vol. IV, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 167, and appeared subsequently on the auction market several times: Christie's Hong Kong, The Jingguantang Collection, 3 November 1996, lot 584; Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2007, lot 802 and again Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 3994 (fig. 1).
One bowl of this design and with a seal mark from the Qianlong period from the Sybil Luna Moses and Maurice Dangoor collection was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 15 March 2017, lot 519. Another yuzhi bowl was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, 11 July 2020, lot 3109.
While bowls of this design became very popular during the 19th century, it is rare to find an example from the Qianlong period. One example from the British Rail Pension Fund was exhibited in Splendor of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1992, no. 159, and subsequently sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Important Chinese Porcelain, Enamels and Jade Carvings from the Works of Art Collection of the British Rail Pension Fund, 16 May 1989, lot 81. The same bowl was later published in The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics, vol. IV, Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 167, and appeared subsequently on the auction market several times: Christie's Hong Kong, The Jingguantang Collection, 3 November 1996, lot 584; Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2007, lot 802 and again Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 3994 (fig. 1).
One bowl of this design and with a seal mark from the Qianlong period from the Sybil Luna Moses and Maurice Dangoor collection was sold at Sotheby’s New York, 15 March 2017, lot 519. Another yuzhi bowl was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, Marchant – Fifty Qing Imperial Porcelains, 11 July 2020, lot 3109.