A TURQUOISE-GROUND FAMILLE-ROSE 'BIRD AND FLOWERS' BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, GUANGXU PERIOD |

of globular form, vibrantly enameled in the Dayazhai manner, the domed cover with a songbird resting on a flowering branch with blooms of hydrangea, begonia, and prunus in vibrant shades of pink, blue, and green, all reserved on a turquoise ground, the box similarly decorated and with a flitting butterfly, the interior and recessed base glazed white, the latter with a four-character mark in iron red reading Yongqing Changchun ('Eternal joy and everlasting spring') (2)

Losses and flakes to enamels, burst glaze bubbles, and extensive surface wear and scratches throughout. Small chips to footring, and glaze gaps (3 and 0.8cm) to the base.
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.

Compare a very similar box and cover sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30th May 2012, lot 4260. The present box belongs to a group of porcelains associated with the Dowager Empress Cixi, often inscribed with Dayazhai or Yongqing changchun marks, or both. For examples of similarly enameled turquoise-ground wares in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, see Guanyang yuci: gugong bowuyuancang qingdai zhici guanyang yu yuyao ciqi [Official Designs and Imperial Porcelain: The Palace Museum's Collection of Official Porcelain Designs and Porcelains from Imperial Kilns of the Qing Dynasty] Beijing, 2007, pp 206-209.