A RARE INSCRIBED BLUE AND WHITE 'FIGURES' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF LONGQING

well potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to a flared rim, the interior centred with a medallion enclosing an elegantly seated women patting the head of a child on a terrace, the inner rim bordered with detached floral scrolls, the exterior inscribed in cursive script with a four-line poem, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark

The overall condition is quite good, except for some fritting to the mouthrim with associated glaze flakes and stained burst bubbles. There are also a few polished kiln grits to the interior and some occasional stained pinholes.
"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 extremely rare bowl is the precise counterpart to another Longqing reign-marked blue and white bowl in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated by Stacey Pierson, Blue and White for China: Porcelain Treasures in the Percival David Collection, London, 2004, p. 90, no. 37 (PDF 622). Compare also a related example with similar calligraphic mark in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession number 2010.59, gift of the Vincent Astor Foundation, illustrated online and on view in gallery 204.