A PAIR OF PALE CELADON-GLAZED MOLDED ‘FLORAL’ BOWLS YONGZHENG MARKS AND PERIOD |

each with well-rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot, molded on the exterior in shallow relief with a formal flower scroll with finely incised details and an upright petal border below, covered overall with a pale bluish-green glaze, the white-glazed base with a six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle, wood stands (4)

John Sparks Ltd., London.
Collection of Sidney T. Cook (1910-1964), and thence by descent. 

One bowl in good condition. The other bowl, slightly darker in tone, in generally good condition but with a fritted burst glaze bubble and small shallow flake (both to the rim), and minor pinprick firing imperfections to the exterior. Please note that this lot includes a stand, frame or other component made from a type of Chinese hardwood, which, if exported, will require a CITES permit to leave the United States.
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.

This pair of bowls epitomizes the sophisticated qualities characteristic of porcelains made in the Yongzheng period (1723-35). The combination of a contemporary form with the luminous, jade-like qualities of Song dynasty celadon wares reflects the emperor’s fascination with antiquities, which in turn became an important source of inspiration in the production of imperial porcelain. According to the Taocheng jishi bei [Commemorative stele on a ceramic production], compiled by the brilliant supervisor of the imperial factory in Jingdezhen, Tang Ying, in the 13th year of the Yongzheng reign (corresponding to 1735), pale celadon glazes were amongst the most successful creations of the 57 types of glazes developed at the time. 

A closely related piece from the Eumorfopoulos Collection and now preserved in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in R.L. Hobson, The George Eumorfopoulos Collection of Chinese, Corean and Persian Pottery and Porcelain, London, 1925-8, vol. V, pl. E 314; a fractionally larger one in the in the Ohlmer Collection, Roemer Museum, Hildescheim, is published in Ulrich Wiesner, Chinesisches Porcelain, Mainz, 1981, pl. 87; and another from the Meiyintang Collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. II, pl. 856,  was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 23. Another bowl of this type was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 5th October 2017, lot 3643; and one from the Morton and Grace Gordon Collection was sold at Christie’s New York, 24th March 2011, lot 1146.