Lot 3188. A ruby-ground famille-rose 'Floral' bowl, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795); 9.3 cm., 3 5/8  in. Estimate 500,000 — 700,000 HKD. Lot sold 812,500 HKD. Photo: Sotheby's 2013

the delicately potted rounded sides resting on a short cylindrical foot, finely decorated in bright enamels on the exterior with a variety of flowers including pink, yellow, and blue peonies clustered around the foot, yellow lilies, green mallow, morning glories, begonia, asters and other exotic blooms, all naturalistically detailed with veined leaves in shaded tones of green and reserved on a ruby-red ground of deep crushed-raspberry tone, the interior left white, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character seal mark. 

Note: The present bowl is a rare early Qianlong period example of ruby-ground bowls of this form, size and decoration. Bowls of this type are better known from Jiaqing’s reign, generally bearing a six-character Jiaqing mark on the base; such as the pair sold in these rooms, 20th November 1984, lot 412, one now in the Weishaupt collection, illustrated in Gunhild Avitabile, From the Dragon’s Treasure, London, 1987, pl. 26, and the other now in the Grüterich collection, included in the exhibition Chinesische Keramik. Meisterwerke aus Privatsammlngen, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne, 1988, cat. no. 139. Another similar Jiaqing pair of bowls was sold in these rooms, 30th April 1991, lot 110; and a further example was sold in our London rooms, 12th December 1989, lot 436.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. Hong Kong, 08 april 2013