Lot 2270. A rare and finely enamelled doucai 'Mythical horse' dish, Yongzheng six-character mark within double circles and of the period (1723-1735); 8 in. (20.2 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 1,470,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013

The dish is painted on the interior with a mythical horse galloping over a turbulent sea, its back supporting a ribboned book on a saddle cloth, against craggy rocks rising out of breaking waves, all enclosed within the broad everted mouth rim decorated with scrolling clouds. The exterior is embellished with further swirling waves divided at each cardinal point with a craggy rock boulder. The edge of the mouth rim is gilded.

Note: The qilin is a very auspicious animal as it is said to live for a thousand years and to be the noblest of all animals and therefore to represent perfect goodness. It was believed to tread so lightly and carefully that it left no footprints and it damaged no living things with its hooves. The appearance of a qilin was supposed to be the sign of a virtuous ruler and the book on the back of the qilin symbolises knowledge and accomplishment. A similar dish also with gilded mouth rim is in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and Constrasting Colours, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 238, no. 218. Dishes of this same pattern but without the gilding are published, compare to an example from the Chang Foundation, illustrated by J. Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties, 1990, no. 140; another from the Edward T. Chow Collection, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 19 May 1981, lot 560; and one sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 November 2012, lot 2197.

Christie's. Imperial Sale, Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 29 May 2013, Hong Kong, HKCEC Grand Hall