Lot 1860. A very rare Ming polychrome-enamelled square 'Dragon' bowl, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period (1522-1566); 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm.) square. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 1,820,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010

With deep, slightly rounded flared sides, each facet enamelled in a brownish aubergine tone with a lively five-clawed dragon detailed in black and with green tufts of hair racing amidst sprigs of yellow lingzhi fungus outlined in iron-red above a band of aubergineruyi heads, the centre of the interior with a similar square dragon medallion belowlingzhi scrolls at the rim, all within double-blue line borders.

Provenance: Samuel C. Davis Collection, St. Louis, Missouri
Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri
Christie's New York, 30 March 2005, lot 343.

QUEST FOR IMITATION AND INNOVATION OF THE EARLY QING
Rosemary Scott - International Academic Director, Asian Art

Several bowls of this shape and size and with the same unusual combination of enamel colours and similar decoration have been published. Four are in public collections: one, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, p. 265, no. 9:114; the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated by W.B. Honey, The Ceramic Art of China and Other Countries of the Far East, London, 1945, pl. 113(a); the Shanghai Museum, illustrated by Xia and Feng, Zhongguo meishu quanji; gongyi meishu bian - 3 - taoci xia, Shanghai, 1991, no. 120; and the Itsuo Art Museum, illustrated by Yajima, Overglaze Enamel Ware in the Ming Dynasty, Japan, 1996, no. 32.