A Chinese Imperial famille rose ruby-ground sgraffiato 'hundred antiques' medallion bowl
Qing...

A Chinese Imperial famille rose ruby-ground sgraffiato 'hundred antiques' medallion bowl

Qing dynasty, Daoguang mark and period

Finely enamelled around the exterior with medallions of arrangements of antiques and delicate flowers, all surrounded by scrolls of blossoming prunus reserved on a ruby brocaded sgraffiato ground, the interior painted in cobalt blue with lanterns to the well surrounding a central medallion of a tasselled ornament, the base with six-character seal mark in underglaze blue, 14.8cm diameter.

清道光 胭脂紅地軋道開光繪博古紋盌，青花篆書「大清道光年製」款

Brightly-enamelled famille rose bowls decorated with medallions over sgraffiato grounds of various colours, with fine underglaze blue painting to the interiors, were first produced during the reign of the Qianlong emperor and became a staple of the Imperial kilns during the reigns of his successors. This is true especially during the reign of Daoguang, when particularly fine examples in a range of motifs were made.

The lantern design on the present bowl is a rebus for 'good harvest', feng deng. It is likely that these bowls were used particularly during the Lantern Festival, as suggested by Jan Stuart in the exhibition catalogue Joined Colors, Washington D.C., 1993, cat.no. 58, where an example from the Dr. S.Y. Kwan collection is illustrated.

Examples of the same pattern have been sold in recent years by Woolley and Wallis, 17 May 2022, lot 572; Sotheby's New York, 21 September 2021, lot 131; and a pair sold by Christie's Hong Kong, 27th November 2018, lot 2970.