Lot 244. A rare famille-verte, iron-red and gilt-decorated 'Immortals' bowl, Qing dynasty, Late Kangxi period  (1662-1722). Estimate 20,000 — 30,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's

delicately potted, the shallow rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a slightly lipped rim, intricately enameled around the exterior with a procession of Daoist Immortals and their attendants, with Xiwangmu atop a crane supporting a double-gourd from which emanates a long thin stream of vapor and five bats, the attendants bearing baskets of peaches and lingzhi, with butterflies amidst scattered floral stems and leaves encircling the foot, the interior boldly enameled with a large peach borne on a leafy stem centered by a giltshou character, wood stand (2) - 8 3/4  in., 22.2 cm  

Provenance : Thomas B. Clarke, New York, 21st December 1897.
American Private Collection, and thence by descent.

Notes: The present bowl appears to be unique, and no other bowl of this design appears to be published. Two related bowls of the same large size, similarly unmarked, depicting a procession of female immortals, and with the same decoration to the foot and interior, are in the Percival David Collection in the British Museum, London (PDF 859 and 863). Both bowls were formerly in the collection of Alfred E. Hippisley and were sold at the American Art Association auction of his collection, New York, 24th November 1934, see Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Enamelled Ware in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1973, pls 859, 863 and front cover.

A small number of other bowls similarly enameled with processions of Immortals are known, with variations in the design, palette and inclusion of a reign mark. A bowl formerly in the collection of Paul and Helen Bernat, painted in famille-verteenamels, with the addition of underglaze-blue, inscribed with a Chenghua mark, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 25th October 1993, lot 735. See also a pair of Kangxi mark and period bowls formerly in the collection of Captain C. Oswald Liddell, painted with a procession of male and female Immortals, sold at Sotheby's London, 13th December 1977, lot 529.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 13 sept. 2016, 10:30 AM