TWO LARGE BLUE AND WHITE BOWLS MARKS AND PERIOD OF KANGXI |

each well potted with deep rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot to a flaring rim, the exterior boldly painted with squirrels clambering amongst gnarled leafy trees bearing succulent clusters of grapes between line borders, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle

Imperial Oriental Art, New York, November 1999.
Christie's New York, 26th September 2013, lot 1377.

One bowl is in fine condition, the other with glaze crackles around 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."

A closely related bowl, from the Grandidier collection and now in the Musee Guimet, Paris, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 7, Tokyo, 1981, pl. 108; and another of slightly smaller size, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in Chen Runmin, Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghua ci [Qing dynasty blue and white ceramics of the Shunzhi and Kangxi periods], Beijing, 2005, pl. 120. Further bowls of this type include one sold in these rooms, 31st October 1995, lot 450, another sold in our London rooms, 7th December 1993, lot 246; and a third bowl, from the Jie Rui Tang collection, to be offered in our New York rooms, 20th March 2018, lot 383. Although grapes featured as a decorative motif on metalwork from the Tang dynasty (618-906), the combination of squirrels and grapes did not appear in Chinese painting until the late Yuan (1279-1368) or early Ming dynasty, and grew in popularity from the sixteenth century. The spreading vines with numerous fruit and seeds of the grape represent the flourishing and continuation of the family line. Thus the lively motif on these bowls expresses the wish that the family line will flourish and grow with many offspring.