A TURQUOISE-ENAMELLED BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

delicately potted in a perfect hemispherical form supported on a short tapered foot, the exterior covered in a striking light turquoise-blue enamel, the interior left white, the base inscribed with a six-character underglaze blue reign mark within a single ring

Collection of Emily Trevor, New York.
Estate of John B. Trevor, Jr.
Christie's New York, 19th September 2007, lot 349.
Eskenazi Ltd, London.

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 4, no. 1827.

The overall condition is very good with only minute pin pricks on the rim, one pin hole on the rim and a some tiny pin holes on the turquoise enamelling. The actual colour is quite close to 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."

This striking light turquoise-blue colour, which derives its pastel tone from being mixed with an opaque white enamel, is characteristic of the Yongzheng reign, but was very seldom achieved. Cups of this perfect hemispherical form were in this period also covered with lemon-yellow, rose-pink, coral-red or lime-green enamels, but rarely with this turquoise-blue.

Turquoise examples of this type can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, see Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, no. 257; in the Baur Collection, Geneva, see John Ayers, The Baur Collection Geneva: Chinese Ceramics, Geneva, 1968-74, vol. III, no. A 478; and were included in the exhibitions Monochrome Ceramics of the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Min Chiu Society at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 55, and Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Ceramics, Kau Chi Society of Chinese Art at The Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1981, cat. no. 137.

For a lemon-yellow cup of similar form see ibid., cat. no. 138; for pairs of rose-pink and coral-red cups, see The Tsui Museum of Art. Chinese Ceramics IV: Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, pls 25 and 26; one of a pair of lime-green cups from the Sir Percival David Collection in the British Museum, London, is published in Rosemary E. Scott, Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, pl. 97 bottom, second from right; and there is also a plain white cup of this form in the same collection (A 413).

A turquoise cup of the same form of the Jiaqing period in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in Geng Baochang, ed., Gugong Bowuyuan cang gu taoci ciliao xuancui [Selection of ancient ceramic material from the Palace Museum], Beijing, 2005, vol. II, pl. 260.