A rare sky-blue glazed bowl, China, underglaze-blue six-character mark Yongzheng and of the period. Photo Nagel Auktionen

The deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot into a slightly flaring rim, the exterior covered with a lustrous pale lavender-blue glaze, the interior and the base being white, his bowl is notable for the translucency of the glaze which creates a sense of depth through the gradation of the white of the rim to the darker areas where the glaze has pooled. Fine condition. D. 14,5 cm. Estimate 80 000/120 000 €

A Yongzheng bowl of similar form and colour was sold at Christie's London, 9 November 2011, lot 63.

Compare a slightly larger Yongzheng mark and period bowl of more flared form, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection , vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. A265, where it is catalogued as covered in a 'light blue glaze' 

Nagel Auktionen. 2013/05/08. http://www.auction.de/