Lot Essay
A similar fish bowl of this rare massive size is illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, vol. II, London, 1986, p. 668, no. 1062. See, also, a closely related fish bowl of this shape and size, decorated with phoenixes instead of dragons between similar decorative borders, now in the Kunstindustrimuseet, Copenhagen, illustrated by D. Lion-Goldschmidt, Ming Porcelain, New York, 1978, p. 173, pl. 154 and 154a (detail), where the author describes the discs centering each petal lappet as 'suggesting the studs holding the skin of a drum'. This massive size and shape continued into the Wanli period, as can be seen in a photograph of the middle chamber of the Emperor Wanli's tomb near Beijing, which includes three fish bowls of this shape and size decorated with dragons, but of Wanli date, illustrated by J. Fontein and R. Hempel in the catalogue for the exhibition, China. Korea. Japan, Propyläen Verlag, Berlin, 1968, pl. 213.