Lot 654. A blue and white stem bowl, Ming dynasty, Jiajing-Wanli period (1522-1620); 13.8 cm, 5 3/8  in. Estimate: 100,000-150,000 HKD. Lot sold 125,000 HKD. © Sotheby's.

the rounded sides rising from a tall splayed stem, painted on the exterior with scholars engaged in various pursuits, including two appreciating a painting, one washing his hands in a large basin, the fourth seated holding a fan in his hand, a further three in conversation, and the last resting amongst a pavilion, all set amidst a fenced garden with trees and rockwork, the foot skirted with a band of pendent lappets, similarly decorated on the interior with a central medallion enclosing a scholar seated in a fenced garden, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark.