Lot 117. An incised green-enamelled ‘dragon’ bowl, Zhengde mark and period (1506-1521);  20.2cm., 8in. Estimation: 30,000 - 50,000 GBP. Lot sold 37,500 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's 2013

the deep rounded sides rising from a straight foot to a flared rim, decorated to the exterior with two green five-clawed dragons pacing amongst an incised wave ground in pursuit of flaming pearls, the interior with a central medallion enclosing a green dragon writhing amongst clouds, inscribed to the base with a six-character mark within a double-circle.

Provenance; Property of a Hong Kong Collector.
Christie's London, 5th July 1983, lot 293.
The Anthony du Boulay Collection, no.P250.
Bonham's London, 10th November 2003, lot 122

Exhibited; The London Asian Art Fair, Porcelain for Emperors, London, June 2003, cat. no.16.

Note: This green dragon design, which became very popular during the Hongzhi (AD 1488-1505) and Zhengde (AD 1506-21) reigns, originated in the Chenghua period (AD 1465-87), when green dragon bowls were made both with the dragons enamelled on top of the glaze over underglaze-blue outlines, and enamelled on the biscuit as on the present piece; examples of both in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, were included in the Museum’s Special Exhibition of Ch’eng-hua Porcelain Ware, 1465-1487, Taipei, 2003, pls 107-8 and 110-11.

A Zhengde bowl of this type in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, is illustrated in Suzanne G. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989, pl. 156; another from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, is published in Daisy Lion-Goldschmidt, Ming Porcelain, London, 1978, pl. 106; one from the Meiyintang collection, published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 2, London, 1994, pl. 695, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 9th October 2012, lot 20; and a fourth bowl from the collection of H.R.N. Norton, included in the Mostra d’Arte Cinese,  Palazzo Ducale, Venice, 1954, cat. no. 687, was sold in these rooms, 5th November 1963, lot 178, and again in our Hong Kong rooms, 18th May 1982, lot 176.

Bowl with Dragon, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Zhengde mark and period (1506–21), mid-16th century. Porcelain with incised decoration under and colored enamels over transparent glaze (Jingdezhen ware). H. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm); Diam. 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm). Anonymous Gift, 1963; 63.175.2 © 2000–2017 The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art. London, 15 mai 2013