A RESERVE-DECORATED CAFE-AU-LAIT BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

the round flaring sides decorated on the exterior with incised flowering hibiscus and chrysanthemum branches reserved in white against a tan glaze, all beneath a glossy transparent glaze, the interior and base left plain white, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue within a double ring

Sotheby's London, 9th June 1987, lot 298.
Sotheby's Hong Kong 16th November 1988, lot 402.

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. 814.

There is a polished piece of kiln grit on the interior and a small burst air bubble on the exterior. There is a burst air bubble on the footrim. 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 bowl appears to be unique, but a related smaller bowl decorated with the sanduo in similar white reserves on a café-au-lait coloured ground, was sold in these rooms 28th April 1992, lot 243, and is now in the Nezu Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Nezu Bijutsukan zōhin sen:  Kōgei hen / Catalogue of Selected Masterpieces from the Nezu Collections: Decorative Art, Tokyo, 2001, pl. 104; another from the collection of Lorant Goldschlager was sold at Christie's London, 4th June 1973, lot 201 and 15th June 1998, lot 150. The same technique was also used for a dish of Yongzheng mark and period in the Palace Museum, Beijing, with three fish reserved in white on a café-au-lait ground, illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 242, pl. 71.