A wucai 'Dragon' dish. Mark and Period of Wanli. photo courtesy Sotheby's

the shallow rounded sides rising from a tapering foot to an everted rim, brightly painted and enamelled to the interior with five scaly dragons, one supporting a bowl of peaches below a 'flaming pearl' centred with a shou character and a single wan character, all encircled at the well by an underglaze blue band of four phoenix panels reserved on a trellis-diaper ground, the exterior with eight floral sprays, the base with an underglaze blue six-character mark; 31.8 cm., 12 1/2 in. Estimate 120,000—150,000 HKD. Lot Sold 860,000 HKD

PROVENANCE: A Japanese Collection.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, 08 Oct 10 11:00 AM, Hong Kong www.sothebys.com