Page 280 - March 17 2017 Chinese Art NYC, Christies

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AN UNUSUAL LARGE WHITE-GLAZED INCISED DISH

XIANFENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1851-1861)
The dish is thickly potted with rounded sides and is incised in the center with a Ming-style ribbon-tied
lotus bouquet below two blossoming stems of peony alternating with two of chrysanthemum in the well,
which are repeated on the exterior between borders of key fret at the foot and classic scroll at the rim,
which is also incised on top of the rim. The dish is covered overall with a slightly blue-toned white glaze.
13¡ in. (34 cm.) diam.

$45,000-55,000

A similarly decorated white-glazed, thick-walled dish, with relief rather than incised decoration, was sold
at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 15 May 1990, lot 98, where it was dated 18th century. The original inspiration
for both the 18th century example and the present Xianfeng dish would have been 15th century dishes,
such as the large (33.5 cm.) white dish incised with a lotus bouquet in the center below foral scrolls
and a scroll border in the well, with Xuande mark below the rim on the exterior, illustrated in Sekai Toji
Zenshu, vol. 14, Tokyo, 1976, col. pl. 8. See, also, a Yongle white dish with similar decoration illustrated by
John A. Pope, Chinese Porcelains from the Ardebil Shrine, Washington, 1956, pl. 110, no. 29.687, which in
turn was probably inspired by early 15th century blue and white dishes, one of which is also illustrated,
pl. 31, no. 29.21.

清咸豐 白釉一把蓮折沿大盤 六字楷書款

(another view)

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