Lot 18. An exceptionally large famille-verte 'Lintong dou bao' charger, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 55.5 cm, 21 7/8 in. Lot sold: 163,800 EUR (Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from a European private collection.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 12th June 2003, lot 222; Christie’s, London, 7th November 2006, lot 189; Galerie 41, Monaco, 31st March 2007.

Note: This awe-inspiring charger, superbly painted with vivid enamels of the famille verte palette with a lively and dense scene of a lavish court banquet, is a particularly fine example of a distinguished group of large dishes created during the Kangxi period (1662-1722). With the composition extended to the edge of the plate, they represent veritable paintings on porcelains. When compared to its counterparts, the enamelling of the present piece is exceptionally impressive for its wealth of colour and meticulous detail. Another noteworthy feature of the present piece is the extensive application of blue enamel across the dish. Since blue enamel had only been developed during the Kangxi reign, the colour scheme of this charger might have been devised specifically to exhibit the new colour that recently became available.

The scene on this large charger depicts the story of 'The Contest of Treasures of Lintong' dating from the Spring and Autumn era (772 - 481 BC) and popularized by the Yuan dynasty play Lintong Dou Bao.

The story tells the tale of a competition organized by Prince Qin Mu of Qin country to conquer and intimidate his neighbours, whereby each feudal prince was to display the weath of his country. At this competition Wu Zi Xu, Prince of Chu country, displayed intelligence and strength, and earned the respect of all the other feudal princes by holding up for display 'a thousand jin heavy ding'. Thus, Wu Zi Xu was able to save his country from the threat of Prince Qin Mu.

A similar large charger depicting the same scene is preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing (accession no. xin-99638), illustrated in Ye Pei-Lan, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 68, pl. 51.

Similar depictions of court scene can also be found on related chargers: a large dish showing a banquet scene from the novel Romance of Sui and Tang, one in the Jie Rui Tang Collection, illustrated in Jeffrey P. Stamen, Cynthia Volk and Yibin Ni, A Culture Revealed. Kangxi-Era Chinese Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection, Bruges, 2017, pl. 10, recently sold in our New York rooms, 19th March 2019, lot 349; see also two other chargers, one sold in our New York rooms, 11th April 1987, lot 199, depicting a similar banquet scene, the other from The Hon. Mrs Nellie Ionides (1883-1962) at Buxted Park collection, sold twice in our London rooms, 18th February 1964, lot 230, and more recently 11th May 2022, lot 80, depicting the Emperor entertained by court dancers.

Lot 19. A pair of café-au-lait ground blue and white 'lotus' bowls, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); Diam. 15.3 cm, 6 in.; wood stands. Lot sold: 9,450 EUR (Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from a European private collection.

Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, London (Label); Galerie 41, Monaco, 6th June 2006.

Lot 21. A large famille-verte 'figural' dish, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 37.5 cm, 14 3/4 in. Lot sold: 9,450 EUR (Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

depicting an official greeting a group of equestrians at the entrance of a fortress.

Property from a European private collection.

Provenance: Galerie 41, Monaco, 19th October 2009; Art céramique ancien - Nicolier, Expert, 7 Quai Voltaire, Paris (label).

Lot 22. A wucai 'prunus' month cup, Mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722); 6.7 cm, 2 5/8 in. Lot sold: 27,720 EUR (Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

delicately painted around the exterior with a red-flowered crab-apple tree issuing from blue rocks and further inscribed with a poem, six-character reign mark.

Property from a European private collection.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 8th November 2006, lot 503.

Note: This cup is emblematic of the 5th month. The couplet of ten characters reads Qingxiang hesuyu jiase chu qingyan [The gentle evening rain is fresh and fragrant, Fine colours are showing through the clearing mist].

Lot 177. A doucai dish and a café-au-lait ground famille verte cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); Diam. 31.5 cm, 12 3/8 in. (dish) ; Diam. 8.5 cm, 3 3/8 in. (cup). Lot sold: 2,520 EUR (Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from the personal collection of Sam and Myrna Myers in France.

Lot 177. A large famille-verte 'lady and cat' lobed rim dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); D. 27.7 cm, 10 7/8 in. Lot sold: 2,394 EUR (Estimate: 1,000 - 1,500 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from the personal collection of Sam and Myrna Myers in France.

Lot 181. A large famille-verte 'flower and bird' dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); D. 39.6 cm, 15 5/8 in. Lot sold: 15,120 EUR (Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from the personal collection of Sam and Myrna Myers in France.

Provenance: Art d'Orient et d'Extrême-Orient, J. Soustiel, 146 bd Haussmann, Paris. (Label).

Lot 184. A famille-verte 'lingzhi' brushpot, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); L. 12.5 cm x H. 11.2 cm, 4 7/8 by 4 3/8 in. Lot sold: 11,970EUR (Estimate: 6,000 - 8,000 EUR). © Sotheby's 2022

Property from the personal collection of Sam and Myrna Myers in France.