AN EXTREMELY RARE CELADON-GLAZED 'CHRYSANTHEMUM' BOWL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG |

with deep rounded sides divided into twenty-eight slender fluted petals with rounded tips radiating from a slightly tapered foot of corresponding form simulating a chrysanthemum bloom, covered overall save for the base with a translucent bluish sea-green glaze, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double circle

Christie's Hong Kong, 26th April 2004, lot 943.

The bowl is significantly worn on the inside with some on the outside. There are a few minor glaze pulls to the edges of the petals on the interior, the bowl is in otherwise 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."

Masterfully potted and covered in a luminous glaze, this elegant bowl embodies the Yongzheng Emperor’s refined aesthetic which stemmed from his passion for antiquity. Inspired by Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) Longquan celadon wares, the delicate glaze accentuates the expertise required at all stages of porcelain production, from the potting and glazing to the firing and finishing. The difficulty in manufacturing such a deceptively simple vessel is evident by the small number of extant examples; two were sold in these rooms, one from the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. II, London, 1994-2010, pl. 860, sold, 8th April 2013, lot 5, and the other, 17th May 1988, lot 71; and a third bowl was included in the exhibition Qing Porcelain from a Private Collection, Eskenazi Ltd., London, 2012, cat. no. 4. During the Yongzheng period, the chrysanthemum-form was employed for a number of wares including dishes, teapots and bowls. While potters working in the imperial kilns were instructed to create vessels based on past celebrated wares of China, the renaissance of this form could be also attributed to the Emperor’s broad and thorough studies. Hajni Elias, 'In the Path of Tao Qian: "Chrysanthemum" Wares of the Yongzheng Emperor', Arts of Asia, May-June 2015, pp. 72-85, suggests that these wares may have served as iconographic symbols related to Tao Qian (365-427), whose reclusive life associating with chrysanthemum embodied many Daoist ideals that were greatly sought after by the Emperor, a devoted follower of the religion. Furthermore, the number of petals that forms this bowl likely refers to the Twenty-Eight Mansions from ancient Chinese astrology, which mark the movement of the moon during a month. These mansions are divided into four categories of seven, namely the Blue Dragon of the East, the Black Tortoise of the North, the White Tiger of the West and the Red Bird of the South. The Yongzheng Emperor’s interest in astrology is evidenced in his admittance of imperial students with specialisations in astrology into the dynastic schools, thus lifting the ban the Kangxi Emperor had placed on such candidates (see Hans Ulrich Vogel and Gunter Dux (eds), Concepts of Nature. A Chinese-European Cross-Cultural Perspective, Leiden, 2010, p. 388).