A REVERSE-DECORATED CORAL-GROUND ‘PEONY AND LOTUS’ BOWL, LATE QING DYNASTY
Lot 1008 - AK0126

China, 1821-1850 or later. Delicately and thinly potted, the deep, rounded, and translucent sides rising from a short, slightly tapered foot to an everted rim. The exterior finely reverse-decorated in a rich iron-red enamel with a row of peony heads, alternating with lotus blossoms below, all borne on interlocked foliate scrolls reserved in white against the opaque coral ground. The interior left undecorated. The recessed base with a six-character reign mark in iron-red da Qing Daoguang Nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: From an old private collection in Scottland.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing irregularities. Few minuscule nibbles along the upper rim. Light rubbing to enameled decoration. The glaze with an attractive, unctuous feel overall.

Weight: 106.2 g
Dimensions: Height 5.6, Diameter 10.9 cm

While iron red was already used to decorate Cizhou wares in the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), and was adopted at Jingdezhen during the Yuan dynasty, it was only in the 18th century, when all enamels were scrutinized as to their unique properties, that its decorative potential was fully realized. Iron red, which adheres in a thin, opaque layer, allows for razor-sharp lines, which could not be achieved with other enamels that are thicker and glassier. This property makes ‘negative’ reverse designs most successful, giving them a delicacy which can only rarely be seen on ‘positive’ paintings above a white ground.

Porcelain wares decorated with ‘negative’ reverse designs on an iron-red ground are the product of the creative genius of Tang Ying (1682-1756), Superintendent of the Imperial kilns during the Yongzheng and early Qianlong periods. A bondservant of the Plain White Banner, who had served at the court from the age of 16, Tang is credited with the introduction of novel techniques and designs at the kilns. Luxuriant floral scrolls against an iron-red ground first appeared on Yongzheng mark and period boxes

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 25 February 2015, lot 211
Price: GBP 3,125 or approx. EUR 5,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A coral-red ground ‘lotus and peony’ bowl, Daoguang six-character mark
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decorative style, and reign mark. Note the slightly larger size (12.9 cm).