33 cm. (13 in.) diam.

Sturdily-potted with deep rounded sides rising to a thickened rim, finely painted on the exterior with four composite foliate roundels with centralised stylised lotuses, interspersed by elaborate interlocking leafy scrolls, between borders of lotus petal lappets below and ruyi-heads above, with a band of interlocking quatrefoil panels each enclosing flower sprays reserved on a blue ground below the rim, the countersunk base is applied with a brown dressing surrounding the recessed centre inscribed with a six-character zhuanshu reign mark in underglaze blue.The doucai palette first appeared as a prototype during the Xuande reign and became more prominent during the Chenghua period, where underglaze blue and used to outline drawing filled in with overglaze coloured enamels. The term doucai refers to the interaction between the clashing colours, which literally translates as ‘contending colours”. Firing doucai porcelain was an excruciatingly difficult and supremely expensive decorative technique. Firstly, the fine underglaze cobalt blue outlines were painted onto the porous unfired body; the cobalt will be immediately saturated into the unfired clay and any mistakes at this point cannot be revoked. After the porcelain piece has been glazed, fired and cooled, the overglaze enamels were carefully applied within the underglaze blue outlines and the piece was refired at a lower temperature. During each step of the firing process, the probability of incidental errors and failures is extremely high as the porcelain pieces would have tended to be more susceptible to warping and splitting.Qianlong doucai jardinieres are rare with only limited examples: see a related example in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated in Selected Ceramics from the Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Hu, Shanghai, 1989, pl. 68; and another is in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl.947. See also another similar example, the ownership is unattributed but possibly belonging to a private collection, illustrated by Ayers, John & Sato Masahiko, Sekai Toji Zenshu 15 Ceramic Art of the World 15, Ch'ing Dynasty, Tokyo, 1983, pl.94 & 95.Provenance:A European private collection

Price estimate:
HKD: 3,000,000 - 4,000,000
USD: 382,500 - 510,000

Auction Result:
HKD: --