A rare white-glazed bell, Zhong, Incised Xuande six-character mark, 17th-18th century. Sold for £8,750 (€12,134). Photo Bonhams

The ovoid bell applied with a double scrolling yoke, moulded to each side with an archaistic taotie mask bisected by columns supporting ruyi-heads, above a band of evenly distributed bagua symbols, the eight trigrams in Daoist cosmology, all between two key-fret bands bordering the shoulder and the gently flaring rim, stand. 20.4cm (8in) high(2).

Provenance: a distinguished European private collection

Note: A related blanc-de-chine bell dated to the 17th century is illustrated by R.H.Blumenfield, Blanc de Chine: The Great Porcelain of Dehua, Berkeley, 2002, p.104, pl.e. Another bell but dated to the 18th century is illustrated by P.J.Donnelly,Blanc De Chine, New York, 1967, pl.65. Compare also a white glazed bell but with taotie decoration in relief illustrated inThe Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 210, p.129, pl.118.

Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 14 May 2015 10:00 BST - LONDON, NEW BOND STREET