A FINE AND RARE RUBY-RED ENAMELLED BOWL SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

finely potted with deep rounded sides resting on a short foot, the exterior exquisitely covered with an even rich ruby-red enamel, the white base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark

The bowl is in good condition with particularly rich ruby red enamel. There is a characteristic pinprick to the mouth-rim, from the original firing process.
"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 fine bowl belongs to a rare group of porcelain enamelled with a striking deep ruby enamel on the exterior. This attractive colour began to be used at Jingdezhen in the latter years of the Kangxi reign and quickly revolutionised the palette of colours used on Chinese porcelain. It documents the Chinese craftsmen's ability quickly to perfect a technique that had been developed only a few years earlier in Europe and used at the Meissen and Sevres factories. By using ground ruby glass, reducing the proportion of colloidal gold and the amount of tin, the Chinese craftsmen were able to overcome the instability and unevenness that characterised European versions of this enamel.

While bowls of this type are well known from the Yongzheng reign, those with Qianlong marks and of the period are relatively rare; a closely related bowl with its matching cover from the Zhuyuetang Collection was included in the exhibition Shimmering Colours. Monochromes of the Yuan to Qing Periods:the Zhuyuetang collection, Art Museum, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2005, cat. no. 51; another was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3539; a slightly larger pair was sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 684; and a lipped bowl was sold in our New York rooms, 24th April 1975, lot 341. See also a Qianlong mark and period ruby-glazed cup, from the H.M. Knight Collection, sold in these rooms, 29th November 1979, lot 335.

For the prototype of this type of bowl, compare a Yongzheng mark and period bowl covered in a similarly rich ruby enamel, included in a travelling exhibition organised by the National Museum of History, Taipei, and illustrated in the commemorative catalogue Zhongguo ming tao Riben xunhui zhan [Travelling exhibition in Japan of famous Chinese ceramics], Taipei, 1993, p. 177; and another sold twice in these rooms, 31st October 1995, lot 415, and 29th October 2001, lot 577.