A pair of blue and white 'ruyi' dishes. Marks and period of Jiajing. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby's

each painted on the interior in deep tones of cobalt underglaze-blue with a central medallion of interlocking ruyi-heads and lotus buds enclosed within double-line borders repeated at the rim, the underside with stylised lotus sprays and pendant clouds divided by a zigzag band - 14.8 cm., 5 7/8 in. - Lot Sold: 187,500 HKD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's New York, 15th June 1983, lot 280.
Collection of Eugene O. Perkins.
Christie's New York, 2nd June 1989, lot 14.
Christie's Hong Kong, 23rd March, 1993, lot 719.

NOTE: It is most unusual to find dishes of this design, which is based on a Chenghua prototype, of Jiajing mark and period. For a Chenghua dish see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), Shanghai, 2000, pl.19.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. 08 Oct 08. Hong Kong - www.sothebys.com