AN UNUSUALLY LARGE IRON-RED 'DRAGON' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF JIAJING

the deep rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to a flaring rim, boldly painted around the exterior in a rich dark iron-red with two large five-clawed scaly dragons in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', all amidst ruyi-head cloud and fire scrolls, the base with an underglaze blue six-character mark

A Japanese Collection.

There is a long crack from rim, originally stabilised with rivets, above the cloud to right side of bowl in the illustration, extending downward through the front claw of the front dragon and the cloud below, turns right and goes up to the back claw of the dragon on reverse side. A shorter crack extends from the flaming pearl right to the dragon's mouth upward to the rim. Another long crack from the rim runs down across the front dragon's body and its third leg and turns left into the cloud below. The restoration is nicely done. There are also frits and associated flaking to the rim.
"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."

Bowls of this decoration and size are rare; see a closely related example in the Idemitsu Collection is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 195. A slightly smaller example, from the collection of Mrs. B.Z. Seligman and the Riesco collection, was sold twice in our London rooms, 11^th May 1954, lot 48, and again, 23^rd June 1970, lot 48; and another bowl was sold at Christie's London, 16^th December 1981, lot 159. For the prototype of this type of bowl see one excavated from the waste heaps of the Ming imperial kilns and attributed to the Chenghua period, included in the exhibition Yuan's and Ming's Imperial Porcelains Unearthed from Jingdezhen, Yan-Huang Art Museum, Beijing, 1999, cat. no. 317.