Lot 3565. A Pair of Incised Celadon-Glazed ‘Lingzhi’ Dishes, Marks and Period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). D 11.6cm. Sold for HKD 960,000 (Estimate HKD 480,000 - 650,000). © Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited 2022

Provenance: Meiyintang Collection, Switzerland.

Published: Kang Ruijun, The Maine Hall Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Volume 2, London, 1994-2010, p. 207, no. 861.

Note: This pair of dishes, with skewed mouths, curved bellies, and rounded feet, is covered with a blue-green glaze, the colour of which is elegant and jade-like. The interior is plain and unmarked, while the exterior is decorated with a concealed lingzhi pattern, signifying good fortune and longevity. The base is inscribed in blue and green with the mark 'Made in the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty'.

The interior and exterior are glazed in pinkish-green, a thick, moist, and elegant texture, in keeping with the ancient term for 'jade-like' wares, and with the beauty of a distant green mountain. The lower part of the bottle is decorated with a lingzhi design, signifying good fortune and longevity. The engraving is skilled and smooth, with a continuous flow of air. The colour of the bottle is pleasantly turquoise, simple and natural, reflecting the purity and beauty of the Yongzheng imperial kilns.

An example, from the former collection of Qiu Yan, sold at Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 25 November 1980, no. 97.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version).

Poly Auction Hong Kong Limited. A Romance Among Blooming Roses: The Meiyintang Collection of Three Dynasties Imperial Ceramics, Hong Kong, 2 Dec 2021