Lot 817. A small doucai 'ruyi' dish, Mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Estimate 70,000 — 90,000 HKD. Lot sold 350,000 HKD. Photo Sotheby's.

the shallow interior centred with a multi-coloured medallion enclosing a floral roundel composed of interlocking ruyi blooms, the exterior bordered with lingzhi blooms, the base with an underglaze-blue six-character reign mark within a double-circle; 8.4 cm, 3 1/4  in.

Note: It is unusual to find dishes of this small size painted with interlocking ruyi. Compare a slightly larger dish of this type, sold in these rooms, 24th November 1987, lot 163; and a pair of dishes, but lacking the mark, sold in our London rooms, 17th December 1974, lot 319. For the prototype of this motif see three doucai dishes, with Chenghua marks and of the period, included in the Special Exhibition of Ch’eng-hua Porcelain Ware, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2003, cat. nos. 184, 185 and 186, together with two Jiajing mark and period examples, cat. nos. 187 and 188.

Sotheby's. Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 02 Jun 2016