An imperial incised purple-glazed 'dragon' dish. Kangxi six-character mark within double-circles and of the period. photo Nagel Auctions

The interior finely incised with a central sinuous dragon in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', surrounded on the cavetto by a pair of striding dragons amidst jagged flames, repeated around the exterior above a band of lotus lappets, applied with an enamel of rich purple tone, the base with a transparent glaze over the underglaze-blue reign mark.

Property from a Belgium private collection

Compare with a few similar dishes, one illustrated in Chinese Porcelain, The S. C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, part 1, pl. 144; one from the Koger Collection, illustrated by J. Ayers, Chinese Ceramics

The Koger Collection, 1985, pl. 144, where the author suggests that the purple glaze was an innovation of the late Kangxi period; one illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 224;

One from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated by He Li, Chinese Ceramics, A New Comprehensive Study, London, 1996, pl. 566;

Aa pair from the J.M. Hu Family Collection sold at Sotheby's New York, 4 June 1985, lot 49; and another sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2003, lot 632

Very short hairline to rim. D. 25,1 cm - Estimate 6 000 €

Nagel Auctions. Asian Art. November 5th 2011. www.auction.de