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Lot Essay
During the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644), fruit and flower sprays symbolizing prosperity were popular decorative motifs. Lobed bowls became prominent during the Xuande reign (1426-1435) and were incorporated into the official kilns' classic repertoire. This bowl shape, featuring six delicate rim petals, draws inspiration from conical bowls with monochrome white glaze, first crafted at Jingdezhen during the Song dynasty (960-1279). Tailored to the refined imperial taste, Xuande vessels were meticulously finished and inscribed with the imperial reign mark.
Similar examples from important public and private collections have been published, including one in the Palace Museum collection, Beijing, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 159, no. 151; two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, one is illustrated in Catalogue of a Special Exhibition of Hsuan-te Period Porcelain, Taipei, 1980, pl. 36, the other in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, p. 178-179, pl. 62, one from the Percival David Foundation, now housed at the British Museum, and illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 6, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 88; one in the Freer Gallery of Art, included in ibid., vol. 9, pl. 102; one in the Shanghai Museum of Art, illustrated by Lu Minghua in Mingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2007, fig. 3-34; one in the Capital Museum, Beijing and illustrated in Shoudu Bowuguan cangci xuan, Beijing, 1991, pl. 97; one in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum and published in Keitokuchin jiki, Kyoto, 1982, pl. 38 bottom; one included in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated by He Li, Chinese Ceramics, A New Comprehensive Survey, New York, 1996, fig. 403; one published in the Asia Society Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, New York, 1982, pl. 73; and another one formerly in the Ataka Collection, which was included in the Oriental Ceramic Exhibition, 1979, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 102.
Compare also with bowls of this decoration sold at auction: the first from the collections of Mr and Mrs R.H.R. Palmer and Jingguangtang, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 November 1996, lot 546; from the Ira and Nancy Koger collection, sold at Sotheby's New York, 27 November 1990, lot 6; from the Su Lin An collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 October 1995, lot 315; from The Manno Museum, Osaka, Japan, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1856; and a bowl formerly in the Meiyintang Collection, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 12. Another one from an old Japanese collection, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30 September 2013, lot 3030; one from a Canadian collection, sold at Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2021, lot 131.
Similar examples from important public and private collections have been published, including one in the Palace Museum collection, Beijing, illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (I), The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2000, p. 159, no. 151; two in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, one is illustrated in Catalogue of a Special Exhibition of Hsuan-te Period Porcelain, Taipei, 1980, pl. 36, the other in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, p. 178-179, pl. 62, one from the Percival David Foundation, now housed at the British Museum, and illustrated in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 6, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 88; one in the Freer Gallery of Art, included in ibid., vol. 9, pl. 102; one in the Shanghai Museum of Art, illustrated by Lu Minghua in Mingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2007, fig. 3-34; one in the Capital Museum, Beijing and illustrated in Shoudu Bowuguan cangci xuan, Beijing, 1991, pl. 97; one in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum and published in Keitokuchin jiki, Kyoto, 1982, pl. 38 bottom; one included in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated by He Li, Chinese Ceramics, A New Comprehensive Survey, New York, 1996, fig. 403; one published in the Asia Society Handbook of the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, New York, 1982, pl. 73; and another one formerly in the Ataka Collection, which was included in the Oriental Ceramic Exhibition, 1979, and illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 102.
Compare also with bowls of this decoration sold at auction: the first from the collections of Mr and Mrs R.H.R. Palmer and Jingguangtang, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 November 1996, lot 546; from the Ira and Nancy Koger collection, sold at Sotheby's New York, 27 November 1990, lot 6; from the Su Lin An collection sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10 October 1995, lot 315; from The Manno Museum, Osaka, Japan, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 1856; and a bowl formerly in the Meiyintang Collection, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 12. Another one from an old Japanese collection, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30 September 2013, lot 3030; one from a Canadian collection, sold at Sotheby's New York, 17 March 2021, lot 131.