A blue and white basin, 17th century. Photo Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides rising from a wedge-shaped foot to a wide everted barbed rim, painted to the interior with a medallion enclosing two figures carrying axes and baskets of lingzhi within a landscape with pine trees and pierced rocks beside a fenced garden with two ladies, the well with a leafy chrysanthemum scroll, encircled by various diaper grounds reserved with alternating lobed cartouches of rabbits and galloping horses, the exterior with pendent gnarled leafy branches below a band of beribboned treasures, inscribed to the base with a spurious six-character Chenghua mark within a double circle; 38.6cm., 15 1/4 in. Estimate 15,000-25,000 GBP. Unsold

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. London | 09 Nov 2011 www.sothebys.com