AN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND YELLOW ENAMEL DRAGON DISH KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD

the central medallion painted with a lively five-claw dragon chasing a flaming pearl amongst cloud scrolls and flames, with two further dragons striding around the cavetto, the exterior with two further similarly painted dragons

Collection of F.C. Harrison, 1907 (according to label).

Collection of Dr. Emil Hultmark, Stockholm (c. 1930). Emil Hultmark was a renowned Swedish collector and member of the small and exclusive group 'Kina Klubben', which was formed in Stockholm in the late 1920s. It was made up of dozens of serious collectors of Chinese porcelain, including the Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, later King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, and Carl Kempe.

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1907, cat. no. 127.

This dish is in good condition, however there are some minor scratches to the interior and some pitting to the glaze to the exterior base.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present dish is rare for its impressive size; see a closely related example, from the Lieutenant-General Sir John Thomas Brownrigg-Bookey Collection, sold at Christie's London, 15^th December 1980, lot 100; and another sold at Christie's London, 12^th December 1988. For a dish of this size and design, but with yellow dragons amongst cloud and fire scrolls on a bluish-green ground, see one in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 75; and another enamelled with green dragons outlined in black enamel on an underglaze blue ground, in the Baur Collection, published in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. 161.

Dishes similarly decorated with this design in underglaze blue and yellow are more commonly found in smaller sizes; for example see a pair included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics, vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, pl. 579; another, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in Qingdai yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, bk. 1, Beijing, 2005, pl. 36; and a third example sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30^th October 2000, lot 237.