DAOGUANG SIX-CHARACTER MARKS IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1821-1850)

The Daoguang Emperor’s concubine was known to be fond of small dogs. Daoguang-marked bowls decorated with Peking dogs are very rare, as this decoration is more commonly found on Daoguang-marked snuff bottles, and are often shown with pairs of birds. According to Geoffrey R. Sayer (Tao Ya or Pottery Refinements, London, 1959, p. 123, no. 722), "Cheng Miao [the Daoguang Emperor] was fond of pigeons; his exalted concubine was fond of little dogs. That is why many dishes of the period have pictures of these two creatures." Compare the Imperial famille rose snuff bottle decorated with a pair of Pekinese dogs on one side and doves on the reverse from The Ruth and Carl Barron Collection, sold at Christie's New York, 16 March 2016, lot 576.