A biscuit-fired porcelain boat of an 'Assembly of Immortals' 19th century. Photo Bonhams

The boat in the shape of a dragon rowed by tiny figures on each side bordering a reticulated three-story tower inscribed to the front Qun Xian Hui(Assembly of Immortals) with pillars wrapped in dragons that support the 'Eight Immortals' and other members of the Daoist pantheon, the base stamped Chen Guozhi in regular script within a double-line rectangular cartouche. 10 3/4in (27.5cm) long. Sold for US$9,375 

Provenance: brought to Ontario, Canada from Japan in 1937

Note: The ceramic artist Chen Guoji was identified as active during the Daoguang period: see John Ayers, on an inscription to a turquoise enameled brush pot in Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection (Geneva, 1999), volume 2, cat. no 340 (A658), pp. 236-7

Bonhams. Fine Asian Works of Art, 20 Dec 2011. California, San Francisco www.bonhams.com