Lot 4249. A Longquan celadon carved and sprig moulded 'Dragon' dish, Ming dynasty, 14th century; 13 5/8 in. (34.7 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 350,000 - HKD 450,000. Price realised HKD 325,000 © Christie's Images Ltd 2012

The dish is sturdily potted with shallow rounded sides rising to an everted rim. The interior is decorated in relief with a scaly four-clawed dragon leaping in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl', surrounded by scrolls carved in the well. The exterior is carved with chrysanthemum petals. The dish is covered overall in a glaze of sea-green colour, except an unglazed circle on the base burnt orange in the firing, box.

Note: A number of these dishes with an upright dragon in pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' are known. The earliest examples dated to the Song dynasty include one in the Sedgewick Collection which was exhibited at the Oriental Ceramic Society, London, Celadon Wares, 1947, Catalogue, pl. I, no. 40. Other related dishes are illustrated by J. Ayers and Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, London, 1986, pp. 255-6, nos. 58-62. An example showing similar scroll designs in the well from the Gordon Collection was sold at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1134. Other examples were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3817 and 30 November 2011, lot 3020. 

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century, 13 3/8 in. (34 cm.) diam. Sold for USD 47,500 at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1134. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

A Longquan celadon carved and moulded 'Dragon' dish, Late Yuan-Early Ming dynasty, 14th century, 14 in. (35.5 cm.) diam. Sold for HKD 400,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3817 © Christie's Images Ltd 2011

A Longquan celadon 'Dragon' dish, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), 13 1/4 in. (33.5 cm.) diam. Sold for HKD 275,000 at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3020.  © Christie's Images Ltd 2011.

The gently rounded sides flaring outward to a flat everted rim, moulded in the centre with a writhing scaly dragon, encircled by a freely carved foliage scroll around the cavetto, the exterior carved and moulded with lobed lotus petals radiating from the footring, covered overall with an olive-green glaze except for the footrim showing the biscuit burnt orange in the firing.

Note: A dish of this type with a very similar dragon applied to the centre is illustrated in Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, vol. I, p. 256, no. 62. Another almost identical dragon chasing a 'flaming pearl' from the British Museum is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics: The World's Great Collections, vol. 5, Tokyo, 1981, no. 132.