A pair of blue-ground and underglazed-red 'dragon' bowls. Kangxi marks and period. Photo Sotheby's

each with deep rounded sides rising from a tapering foot to a flared rim, the exterior incised with two dragons striding on foaming waves in pursuit of flaming pearls above upright lappets, all picked out in underglaze-red and reserved on a dark underglaze-blue wash ground, the interior left white, inscribed to the base with a six-character Kangxi mark within a double circle. Quantity: 2 - 15.6cm., 6 1/8 in. Estimate 40,000-60,000 GBP. Lot Sold: 103,250 GBP

PROVENANCE: T.Y. Chao Family Trust, no. 74.

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