Rare plat en porcelaine bleu blanc à fond jaune. Chine, dynastie Ming, Marque à six caractères et époque Hongzhi (1488-1505). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd., 2010

De forme circulaire, à décor en bleu sous couverte réservé sur un fond jaune pâle, au centre d'un branchage feuillagé de gardenia, l'aile délicatement tulipée, ornée de rameaux de kakis, grenades, lotus et grappes de raisins, l'extérieur agrémenté de volutes feuillagées et pivoines, la base réservée portant la marque à six caractères de l'Empereur Hongzhi dans un double cercle en bleu sous couverte ; petit fêle. Diamètre: 26,3 cm. (10 3/8 in.). Est. 100,000--150,000 EUR. Lot Sold 229,000 EUR

Provenance: Formerly in the Collection of a French fashion designer of the 1930's.

Notes: This striking style was achieved by painting in underglaze blue, applying a colourless porcelain glaze and firing the piece. Following the firing, the yellow enamel was applied to the body, carefully avoiding all the areas with blue underglaze painting, the piece was then fired a second time.

The prototype for this boldly executed design dates from the Xuande period, such the example of almost the same size (25.6 cm) included in the exhibition, Xuande Imperial Porcelain Excavated at Jingdezhen, Chang Foundation, Taiwan, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 88.

A number of these acclaimed dishes have been preserved in important museums and private collections. For other Hongzhi-marked examples, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum -35- Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (II), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 256, no.231; J. Ayers, Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tokyo, 1980, pl.153, J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. I, Geneva, 1999, p. 118, no. 65; S.G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1989 ed., p.158, no.152.

Christie's . Asian Art, 16 Dec 10, Paris www.christies.com