A fine, large Qingbai porcelain bowl with carved three boys décor, China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279).  Estimate 3000/5000 €. Lot sold 2.800 €. Photo Nagel

the thinly potted, deep bowl with slightly rounded sides is in the interior carved with a vivid décor with three chubby boys playing in a small pond surrounded by stylized peony trees or bushes, during the Song dynasty a very popular ceramic motif; the outside is undecorated and the surface of the bowl is covered with a transparent, light blue tinted glaze, the footring and base are thinly glazed. D. 18,2 cm. Short filled hairline to rim, few tiny glaze frits

Property from the collection of the Tafel family, founded by the Tibet explorer Dr. Albert Tafel (1876 - 1935) and objects collected by Albert Tobias Tafel (1913 - 1981, mainly purchased in China in the 1930'ies and 40'ies

Compare: Joan Y.H. Ho, editor et al.: The Multiplicity of Simplicity - Monochrome Wares from the Song to the Yuan Dynasties, University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, 2012 (exhibition catalogue), no. 3, a pair of slightly smaller conical Qingbai bowls (h. 5,7 cm, diam. 17,6 cm) with a very similar design arrangement with 3 chubby boys, crawling and climbing amidst peony blossoms and separated by peonies born on scrolling and twisted branches, dated to Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)

- Sotheby's, New York, 18.9.2007, lot 238, a large conical Qingbai bowl (diam. 26,3 cm), with a carved and combed similar décor of 3 boys cavorting about peony trees with dense foliage, dated to Southern Song dynasty.

- Peng Shifan, edit., Dated Qingbai Wares of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Qing Leng Foundation, HK 1998, no. 65 

NAGEL. "Asian Art". Sale 722, 06/06/2015