Lot 3718. A fine pair of famille-rose 'Hundred Boys' bowls, seal marks and period of Jiaqing (1796-1820), 11.7 cm, 4 5/8  in. Estimate 1,200,000 — 1,800,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,500,000 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's.

each with rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a slightly flared rim, the exterior delicately painted in bright enamels with a continuous scene of boys in a fenced garden with a small bridge spanning a stream, playing with fire crackers, lanterns and presenting peaches in a procession, with further boys watching from windows above, the recessed base inscribed with a seal mark in iron red.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 4th November 2009, lot 201.

Note: This pair of bowls is impressive for its lively and fine depiction of boys engaged in different games. The ‘hundred boys at play’ was a popular theme in the decorative arts of the Ming and Qing dynasty, which refers to King Wen of the Zhou dynasty who had ninety-nine sons and adopted one more to make one hundred. The boys are illustrated engaged in activities potent with symbolism: for example the first character of ‘lantern’ is a pun for bumper harvest (fengdeng), which equates with peace, while boys carrying peaches and playing with bats are representative of longevity.