A WELL-PAINTED DOUCAI 'NANDINA BERRY' DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the interior delicately painted with clusters of narcissus growing amidst pierced underglaze-blue rocks beneath overhanging nandina berries, with a lingzhi fungus growing on one side, the exterior similarly decorated with three clusters of narcissus, nandina berries, and lingzhi fungus all evenly spaced out, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within double rings

Sotheby's London, 10th December 1985, lot 281.

Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, The British Museum, London, 1994.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 765.

There is a 1.5 cm hairline on the rim at 12 o'clock (based on the catalogue illustration) and a restored shallow 5 mm rim chip located at 6 o'clock. The glaze on base has a little glaze shrinkage visible in a 2 cm line. The rim has a few minor pin holes that are slightly discoloured, causing a slight pinkish grey hue along the rim. The doucai enamels are in very good condition.
"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."

This exquisitely painted and subtly coloured nature scene where underglaze and overglaze colours are interlaced in a complex, yet very harmonious pattern to form a naturalistic, three-dimensional picture, is arguably one of the most delightful paintings in the doucai palette. The combination of lingzhi, narcissus, nandina and rocks is used as a rebus that stands for 'fungus fairy bestows birthday greetings'; see The Hundred Flowers. Botanical Motifs in Chinese Art, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 1985, cat. no. 46. A similar pair of dishes from the T.Y. Chao collection was included in the exhibition Ming and Ch'ing Porcelain from the Collection of the T. Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 64, and sold in these rooms, 18th November 1986, lot 140; one from the Toguri Museum of Art, Tokyo, illustrated in Nakazawa Fujio, 'Chinese Ceramics in the Toguri Museum of Art', Orientations, April 1988, fig. 19, was sold in our London rooms, 9th June 2004, lot 4.