A Turquoise-Ground grisaille-decorated bowl.  Daya Zhai mark. Guangxu Period, Qing dynasty. Photo Sotheby's

the deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a flaring rim, decorated to the exterior in grisaille with leafy branches bearing large chrysanthemum and mallow blossoms below a songbird in flight, inscribed in iron-red near the rim with the Daya Zhai mark and a seal reading tiandi yijia chun ('heaven and earth enjoying spring as one'), all reserved against a bright turquoise ground, the base inscribed in iron-red with four characters reading yongqing changchun ('eternal celebration of everlasting spring'); 17.5cm., 6 7/8 in. Estimate 6,000-8,000 GBP. Unsold

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