A PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE BOWLS

Details

A PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE BOWLS
DAOGUANG SEAL MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD

Painted in shades of underglaze blue on the deep, rounded sides with a continuous scene of boys engaged in various festive activities, some playing musical instruments, some gathered around a table, within garden settings below spreading willow trees, the interiors undecorated (small star crack to one base)
6in. (15.3cm.) diam. (2)

Lot Essay

The design on these bowls is inspired by Chenghua prototypes. Daoguang-marked bowls of this pattern are in the Simon Kwan Collection, included in the Exhibition of Imperial Porcelain of the Late Qing, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993, Catalogue no. 8; one from the Weishaupt Collection is illustrated by Avitabile, From the Dragon's Treasure, London, 1987, p. 70. no. 98; and a pair is illustrated by Gulland, Chinese Porcelain, London, 1918, vol. II, nos. 890 and 891. See, also, the example included in the Exhibition of Nineteenth Century Mark and Period Porcelain, S Marchant and Son, London, Catalogue no. 23

According to Avitabile, op. cit., the scene of the boys gathered around a table appearing on the bowl illustrated on the left, represents a Chinese literati game of poetry at an artificial watercourse