Lot 3085. A fine pair of white 'anhua' glazed cups, Marks and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 7 cm., 2 3/4 in. Estimate 350,000 — 450,000 HKD. Lot sold 1,840,000 HKD (173,221  EUR). Photo: Sotheby's

each finely potted and moulded with six-lobed sides rising from a short foot to an everted rim resembling a mallow-flower blossom, the overlapping petals divided by undulating edges issuing from a lappet band of raised mallow petals circling around the foot, each petal incised with lines simulating floral veins, the interior lightly incised with two dragons in anhua style, covered overall with a white glaze, the base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark of Yongzheng.

Note: Finely potted with fluently incised petals and subtle anhua dragon design, the present pair of lustrously glazed cups demonstrates the daintiness of the imperial porcelain in the early Qing. A similar white-glazed cup, also of mallow shape and inscribed with a six-character Yongzheng mark arranged in three columns, was sold together with a cupstand in our rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 515. Mallow-shaped wares appeared as early as in the Song dynasty, when the sublime of plain lacquered foliate dishes was highly admired. The love of this simple yet elegant form was also found in later dynasties. Examples include celadon-glazed dishes from the Xuande period in the collections of Beijing and Taipei Palace Museums.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, Hong Kong, 08 april 2014