A COPPER-RED 'THREE FISH' BOWL YONGZHENG MARK AND PERIOD

delicately-potted with deep curved sides rising from a straight foot to a flared rim, the exterior boldly decorated with three mandarin fish in rich copper-red silhouettes, all reserved on a white ground, the interior left undecorated, the base with a six-character mark within a double circle in underglaze blue

A Walk into China’s Past, Art Center of Battle Creek, Michigan, 1976, cat. no. 80. 

There is an approx. 0.3 cm flake chip to the rim; otherwise, the bowl is in overall good condition with some light surface wear, most noticeable to the interior well, and some minor firing imperfections. The base with an old inventory number, inscribed on a thin layer of primer that has now turned yellow, as can be seen in the catalogue illustration.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Designs in the form of underglaze red silhouettes of animals and fish originated in the Yongle period (1403-24), when they were generally combined with underglaze blue decoration. On early Ming vessels the red fish are, however, mainly seen on stemcups and stembowls. 

After the Xuande period this style of decoration was rarely used until revived in the Qing dynasty. Yongzheng mark and period bowls of this form and design are held in museums and private collections worldwide; see one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Ming Chenghua ciqi tezhan [Special exhibition of Ming Chenghua porcelain], Taipei, 1977, cat. no. 100; one in the Nanjing Museum, included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 49; another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Rose Kerr, Chinese Ceramics. Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1998, pl. 11; and a fourth from the Meiyintang collection, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2012, lot 50. Another similar bowl sold in our London rooms, 5th November 2014, lot 8.