XUANDE MARK, YONGZHENG PERIOD (1723-1735)

The shape and painted decoration of this bowl are based on Xuande period (1426-35) prototypes, such as the exquisite blue and white bowl with Xuande mark in this sale, lot 134. The porcelain body and the shape of this 18th century bowl are a fairly good match for the Xuande bowls, but the painting is more hesitant and shows a misunderstanding of the technique and design elements of the Xuande examples. The blue is pale and washy, and not rich in tone.
For a discussion of this lot and lot 134, see the exhibition catalogue, The Real, The Fake and The Masterpiece, 1988, pp. 41-42, nos. 23 and 24.