A RARE PAIR OF FAMILLE-ROSE 'DEER' BOWLS MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

each well potted with deep rounded sides rising from a subtly splayed foot to a flared rim, the exterior finely enamelled with a spotted deer with its head turned backwards, the scene further detailed with a crane perched on a gnarled aubergine-lavender pine branch and lingzhi blooms issuing from the ground, the interior picked out with two further lingzhi blooms, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark in three columns in a double circle

Collection of an officer with the British forces in the 'China Expeditionary Force' in 1900-01, by repute.
Left: Bonhams London, 11th November 2010, lot 318.
Right: Bonhams London, 11th November 2010, lot 322.

One bowl (illustrated on the left) has a star crack of approx 2 cm (0.7 cm on the exterior). The other bowl (right) has two hairlines of approx 3 cm from the rim. The enamels on both bowls have been generally well preserved with some typical firing imperfections to the enamels on the interior.
"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."

These bowls are notable for their delicate style of painting which reflects the innovative developments and fresh confidence of craftsmen working during the Yongzheng Emperor’s reign. The new development of enamelling is evident in the use of pink and purple enamels, while the painter’s skill is revealed in the lack of formal borders to delineate the decorative elements of the design. Known as the ‘boneless style’, this technique was not widely used for decorating porcelain most likely because it was too complicated to use on a mass-production scale. It represented a great challenge to the artists as a lesser-skilled painter would require outlines to complete their sections of decoration, and if not handled correctly it would give the impression that the piece was unfinished. 

Bowls painted with deer and cranes in this palette are rare and no other closely related bowl appears to have been published. A similarly painted deer, with a meticulously detailed fur coat, is found on a Yongzheng mark and period meiping in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 50; and on a bowl sold in these rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3635. Compare also a pair of Yongzheng mark and period ogee cups painted in a similar style with cranes and pine trees, included in the exhibition Joined Colours, Arthur M. Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1993, cat. no. 59, and sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in 1996, in our London rooms in 2001, and in these rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3638; and another pair sold in these rooms, 29th October 1991, lot 244.