12.7 cm. （5 in.） diam.

Provenance：

Sotheby’s ， October 31st and November 1st ， 1974 ， lot 105



The shallow dish rising from the circular foot to and everted rim ， decorated to the interior in green ， iron red and brown enamels over the underglaze -blue ground with a central medallion with a pair of mandarin ducks in a pond scattered with blossoming lotus ， the exterior with six further ducks alternating with lotus above an underglaze blue petal border surrounding the foot ， the base inscribed with the reign mark within double circles.

The lotus and mandarin duck subject originated during the Xuande and Chenghua periods and the doucai design on the present example is derived directly from Chenghua prototypes. The pair of ducks is associated with fidelity and harmony. The theme is discussed by S. Pierson in Designs as Signs： Decoration and Chinese Ceramics ， Percival David Foundation ， London ， 2001 ， where the author explains that pairs of mandarin ducks ， yuan yang ， represent marital fidelity or harmony as they are said to stay together for life.

Compare to a similar example illustrated in Imperial Porcelain： Recent Discoveries of Jingdezhen Ware ， Museum of Oriental Ceramics ， Osaka ， 1995 ， p. 43 ， no. 52 and p.65 ， no. 93； and another one from the Chang Foundation ， illustrated in Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties ， Taipei ， 1990 ， pp. 242/3 ， no.102； and one illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in The Idemitsu Collection ， Idemitsu Museum of Arts ， 1987 ， pl. 193.

Price estimate:
HKD: 250,000 - 350,000
USD: 32,300 - 45,300

Auction Result:
HKD: 944,000