A FINE PAIR OF LATER-ENAMELED FAMILLE-ROSE 'BIRD AND FLOWER' DISHES YONGZHENG SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD |

each elegantly potted with shallow flared sides rising to an everted rim, intricately enameled with a colorful long-tailed bird perched on the branch of a blossoming prunus tree rising above flowering magnolia, the branches continuing over the rim and extending around the sides, the base with a six-character reign mark in underglaze blue within a double circle (2)

Collection of H.R.H. Palmer (1898-1970), no. 200. 
Sotheby's London, 27th November 1962, lots 82 and 83.
John Sparks Ltd., London.
Collection of Sidney T. Cook (1910-1964), and thence by descent. 

Both in overall good condition with very minimal wear and minor firing imperfections, including some very minor shallow kiln flakes to the foot.
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.

White-glazed dishes of this form and size are extremely rare and no other closely related example appears to have been published. The shape is known in a smaller size, covered in a lemon-yellow glaze, such as a pair from the collection of the Hosokawa clan, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3110; and another pair, from the T.Y. Chao Collection, included in the exhibitions Ch’ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, The Art Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 38, and One Hundred Selected Pieces of Chingtechen Porcelain of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 54, and also sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 282.

Finely enameled with a colorful bird amongst flowering prunus and magnolia branches, this pair of dishes has been enameled using the difficult artistic device known as changzhi (long branch), a homophone of the phrase ‘eternal governance’. This technique first gained popularity in the Yongzheng period and was employed for illustrating flowering branches of various types, often together with other auspicious motifs such as bats, peaches or butterflies, extending from the exterior over the rim to the interior. The ingenuity of this technique allowed each side to be viewed as a complete design in its own right.