A FINE BLUE-GLAZED BOWL AND COVER MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the body with deep flaring ribbed sides rising from a short straight foot to an everted rim, the domed cover surmounted by a phoenix finial, covered overall in a rich dark-blue glaze thinning to white at the rims and moulded lines, the interior and base glazed white, the interior and inside of the cover with an underglaze blue six-character mark  

Both the bowl and the cover are in very good condition. The deep and lustrous blue glaze is brilliantly applied. The bowl has some minute scratches to the interior of the rim and a shallow nick to the foot ring. The rim on the underside of the cover has a shallow 5mm section of wear to the glaze. Both the interior of the bowl and the cover have minor pinholes in the glaze. The phoenix is in very good condition The actually colour is slightly bluer than the catalogue illustration.
"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."

It is rare to find bowls of this type produced during the Qing dynasty, although a closely related example was sold in these rooms, 27^th April 2003, lot 166; and another was sold at Christie's London, 18^th June 2002, lot 69. See also two blue-glazed bowls of this form but without a cover sold in these rooms, 11^th April 2008, lots 2908 and 2909.

The form of the present bowl and cover is based on Ming dynasty Xuande prototypes. See four blue and white decorated bowls and covers, with Xuande reign marks and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, included in the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsuan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1998, cat. nos 50-53; and another formerly in the E.T. Chow and T.Y. Chao collections, sold twice in these rooms, 25^th November 1980, lot 5, and 19^th May 1987, lot 231.

The prevailing interest in archaism throughout the Qing dynasty is evident in this bowl and cover. In form it refers back to the celebrated wares of the Xuande period, while the bird finial is archaistic in its representation. However a fresh aesthetic suited to contemporary tastes has been achieved through the minimalist blue glaze, which also serves to highlight the elegance of the form yet still referring to the past.