A blue and white anhua-decorated 'dragon' stembowl, Late Ming dynasty
Lot 78. Property from The Li Fan Thompson collection A blue and white anhua-decorated 'dragon' stembowl, Late Ming dynasty (1368-1644); 11cm high. Sold for £9,600. © Bonhams 2001-2024
Potted with rounded sides rising from a tall and slightly spreading foot encircled by a raised band, the interior moulded in low relief with a pair of five-clawed dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, painted to the centre with a medallion enclosing a dragon flying amidst clouds, all below a band of geometric pattern beneath the rim.
Provenance: Christie's London, 20 March 1990, lot 536
A Scottish private collection
Bonhams London, 17 May 2012, lot 243
The Li Fan Thompson collection, London
Note: The stem bowl, also referred to as ba bei (靶杯) or 'cup used on horseback' (馬上杯), became popular in the Yuan dynasty. Its production peaked during the Ming and Qing dynasties, particularly at the Jingdezhen kilns. The present lot is distinguished by its unusual integration of mounded decoration with blue and white motifs.
Compare with a related blue and white 'floral' stem bowl, Ming dynasty, which was sold at Christie's Paris, 20 December 2020, lot 21.
Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art, London, New Bond Street, 7 November 2024