Page 73 - 2019 September 9th Bonhams Important Chinese Works of Art

865
A RARE PAIR OF DOUCAI ‘LONGEVITY’ BOWLS This rare pair of bowls are decorated with motifs imbued with
Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period auspicious symbolism. The name of the narcissus in Chinese is
Each with deep rounded sides rising to a flared rim, supported on shuixian which literally means immortal of the water. Associated with
a slightly tapered foot ring, delicately enameled on the exterior with spring, the narcissus is a symbol of good fortune and longevity. In
a narcissus bulb lying on its side issuing curled leaves and a stem ancient China it was believed that a whiff of lingzhi could revive the
bearing three flowers, along with a lingzhi sprig and a cluster of young dead and since then, the lingzhi has been associated with immortality
bamboo leaves, the interior with a another lingzhi sprig and bamboo and longevity. The name of bamboo in Chinese, zhu, is a homophone
leaves, the six-character underglaze blue mark centering the foot and for the word ‘congratulate’ or ‘wish’. The decoration on these bowls
enclosed within a double-circle. therefore form the rebus zhixian zhushou (the immortal of longevity
4 3/8in (11.1cm) diameter wishes you long life).

$10,000 - 15,000 A slightly larger Yongzheng mark and period bowl with similar
decoration was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 26 October 2003, lot 9.
清雍正 粉彩芝仙祝壽紋盌一對 《大清雍正年製》款

Provenance:
Virginia Hobart (1876-1958), and thence by descent

FINE CHINESE WORKS OF ART AND PAINTINGS | 71