A FINE PAIR OF FAMILLE-ROSE 'PEONY' SAUCERS MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

each finely potted with everted sides resting on a short tapering foot, the interior with floral buds and blooms exquisitely enamelled in shaded tones of pink and white, issuing from green and turquoise leafy stems, the base inscribed in underglaze-blue with a six-character reign mark in three columns within a double-circle, wood stands

The saucers are in good condition.
"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 pair of dishes is elegantly painted in the ‘boneless style’, a technique known for its virtually skeleton and outline-free design, whereby the only lines incorporated into the composition are the black lines used to define the veins on the leaves. Although this technique was known in painting from the Ming period, it was not widely used on porcelain decoration, most likely because it was too complicated to use on a mass-production scale. It represented a great challenge to the artists as lesser-skilled painters would require outlines to complete their sections of decoration, and if not handled correctly it would give the impression that the piece was unfinished.

A pair of closely related dishes, from the Edward T. Chow collection, was sold in these rooms, 25th November 1980, lot 160. Compare also a small Yongzheng mark and period dish painted in this style with peony, in the Brian S. McElney collection, included in the exhibition Porcelain of the High Qing, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, 1983, cat. no. 87.