A FINE DOUCAI 'MANDARIN DUCK' DISH MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

finely potted with shallow rounded sides supported on a footless base, painted on the interior with a cluster of slender lotus with red-tipped petals supported on curved studded stems, their furling pads naturalistically detailed in two tones of green with veins and insect holes along the edges, flanked by a pair of mandarin ducks swimming on the gently rippling pond below, the enamored birds turned towards another and detailed with fiery iron-red crests and feathering in apple-green, aubergine and pale orange, all within a double circle repeated at the rim, the reverse similarly painted with a continuous scene of mandarin ducks and clusters of lotus radiating between line borders around the wall, below a narrow band of alternating yellow, aubergine and green five-clawed dragons in pursuit of 'flaming pearls', the countersunk base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark

Christie's Paris, 13th June 2007, lot 204.

The dish is in overall very good condition. There are a few very minor dirty pinpricks on the rim.
"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."

A closely related dish in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 216; one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 11, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 144; a pair from the Edward T. Chow collection was sold in these rooms, 19^th May 1987, lot 296; and another pair of dishes from the T.Y. Chao collection was sold in these rooms, 19^th May 1987, lot 296, and twice at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31^st October 1994, lot 616, and again, 1^st June 2011, lot 3571.