A FINE AND RARE BLUE AND WHITE BOWL MING DYNASTY, YONGLE PERIOD

with deep, rounded sides finely painted around the exterior with composite floral scrolls forming a continuous frieze, all enclosed between a band of scrolling lingzhi above and a band of chevrons enclosing small dots below, the interior painted with six separate and alternating floral and fruiting sprays, all encircling a central lotus flower springing from leafy stems, a band of outlined chevrons framing dots encircling innner rim, the inky underglaze-blue of rich tone with characteristic 'heaping and piling', all supported on  a shallow ring foot enclosing a glazed base

Collection of Richard Bryant Hobart, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Parke-Bernet Galleries & Inc., 23rd May 1969, lot 128.

The Use of Blue on Chinese Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty, Fogg Museum of Art, Harvard, Massachusetts, Spring 1947, no. 8.
An Exhibition of Blue-decorated Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty, 29th October 29 - December 4, 1949, The Philadephia Museum of Art,  Philadelphia.
Chinese Ming Blue and White Porcelains, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, December 21, 1949 - February 5, 1950.
On loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Generally good condition with a few light scratches to the glaze. The bowl has warped slightly in firing leading to the rim being of an uneven height. There is one small burst air bubble firing fault on the exterior with a 1/2 in. line of brownish discoloration extending from it. There is one small burst air bubble to the glaze adjacent to the double line on the interior 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.