Lot 155. A rare doucai 'Anbaxian' ogee bowl, Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 20cm (7 7/8in) diam. Estimate £ 10,000 - 15,000 (€ 11,000 - 17,000). Sold for £ 47,500 (€ 54,564). © Bonhams. 

Exquisitely decorated in the interior with a swirled roundel enclosed by interlinked scrolls issuing alternating leafy peaches and floral blooms, surrounded by the anbaxian emblems adorned with long billowing ribbons, the exterior densely decorated with stylised floral blossoms wreathed by undulating leafy scrolls above a band of ruyi-heads and upright lappets bordering the foot.

Provenance: According to family history, which is supported by family records illustrating the progress of British troops in Beijing at the time, this object was acquired by a military attaché posted to Beijing at the time of the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. He was attached to the staff of Brigadier-General A.Gaselee, the commander of the British contingent assisting in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion on behalf of the Imperial Court, as one of the Eight Allied Powers.

Note: Compare with a similar bowl in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Hong Kong, 1995, no.106.