YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)

The leafy motif on this bowl is aromatic turmeric, an herb commonly used in Chinese medicinal practices. It appears that this plant only appears on Yongzheng-period Imperial porcelain, and is rendered in various palettes including doucai and blue and white. Compare for example to a Yongzheng-marked blue and white bowl bearing the same decoration, in the collection of the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty. The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 137 (fig.1).