A blue and white 'lotus' bowl, Underglaze blue six-character mark Kangxi and of the period. photo Nagel Auctions

The deep rounded side resting on a short foot and rising to an everted rim, painted around the side in vibrant tones of underglaze-blue with large lotus blooms issuing from feathery scrolls, each bloom emanating a pair of lotus leaves, all above a band of overlapping lappets, the interior painted on the centre with a lotus bloom surrounded by further leaves and feathery scrolls, the side similarly decorated to the exterior, all below a further lotus scroll band, the base inscribed with the six-character mark in underglaze-blue within a double-circle.

Provenance: Christie's New York, 21.3.2002, Lot 194

Lotus blooms borne on leafy scroll decoration on blue and white wares appears to have first gained great popularity in the Ming dynasty. Ceramic decorators of the later periods continued to paint the scrolling floral motif in a similar style that of the previous Ming dynasty, albeit with ontemporaneous elements, as a tribute to antiquity and also because the lotuses are regarded as auspicious.

Compare with a pair of similarly decorated bowls sold Christie's Hong Kong, 27 May 2009, lot 1821

Good condition. D. 19,2 cm. Estimate 18 000 / 25 000 €

Nagel Auctions. Asian Art. November 3rd 2011. www.auction.de