A BLUE AND WHITE THREE-RAM 'SANYANG KAITAI' BOWL QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

well potted of inverted bell shape with steep sides gently rising to a flared rim, painted on the exterior in imitation of the Jiajing original with a scene of three rams in a setting of willow, pine and bamboo, the interior with a central medallion of a qilin, within a cell diaper band around the rim, the base inscribed with a six-character apocryphal Jiajing mark

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19^th November 1986, lot 218.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16th May 1989, lot 238.

There is a tiny chip of 0.3 cm to the rim. Apart from some kiln grits to the interior, the overall condition of the bowl is quite good.
"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."

Kangxi bowls decorated with the 'Three Rams' design are rare, although three were sold at Christie's London, one on 16^th December 1981, lot 43, and a pair on 8^th December 1975, lot 141. See a Jiajing prototype of the bowl, with a reign mark and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in the National Palace Museum Quarterly, vol. II, no. 3, 1968, pp. 29-45, pl. XII, another in the Baur Collection, Geneva, published in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 1, Geneva, 1999, pl. 74; and a third example in the Shanghai Museum, published in Zhongguo taoci quanji, vol. 12, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 157. A pair of Jiajing bowls, from the J.M. Hu collection, was sold twice in these rooms, 4^th June 1985, lot 15, and 9^th October 2007, lot 1559.

The 'Three Rams' (sanyang) design represents a change of fortune with the arrival of spring and the New Year. The three rams are often shown together with the rising sun (taiyang) to form the rebus for 'three yang bring prosperity'. The Yijing (Book of Changes) first mentions the phrase sanyang in reference to the three male lines, tai, that symbolise heaven. The tai is positioned under three female lines, kun, that represent earth; hence the phrase sanyang kaitai, which means 'the New Year brings renewal and a change of fortune'.