China, 1736-1795. Delicately potted, the interior decorated with a five-clawed dragon writhing amidst clouds and flames in pursuit of a flaming pearl, encircled by two further dragons chasing flaming pearls amidst clouds, the exterior is similarly decorated above a band of petal lappets, all in lemon yellow reserved on an underglaze-blue ground. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: The private collection of the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse, preserved in the society for over 100 years. The base with a collector’s number ‘AD 974.319.1’. Founded in 1826, the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse (SIM) is based in Alsace, France, established under Charles X by Protestant industrialists, including Émile Dollfus and Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger. Throughout the 19th century, the SIM was a laboratory of ideas, where the ‘Mulhouse model’ was developed, a unique convergence of industry, research, and education. A collection was established with the aim to bring together knowledge in a central location, whether in natural sciences, fine arts, or history. Today, thousands of works remain from these collections, some of them highly prestigious in their fields. Over the decades, much of the collection was given to local museums and cultural institutions.
Condition: Good condition overall with some wear and minimal firing irregularities, light scratches, three short hairlines and one small shallow chip to the rim. Displaying remarkably well with crisp and intensive colors.

Weight: 604 g
Dimensions: Diameter 24.7 cm

Literature comparison:
This design and color combination is based on porcelains from the Kangxi period, see for example a dish illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol. I, Tokyo, 1976, no. 1047, p. 349. A similar dish is illustrated by Shincho Kogei No Bi, New York, 1995, pl. 126, p. 45 or by Qian Weipeng in Tian Wu Guan Cang Ci, Shanghai, 2011, vol 1, pp. 198/9.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Near identical
Auction: Christie’s New York, 25 March 2022, lot 1130
Price: USD 107,100 or approx. EUR 107,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An underglaze-blue and yellow-glazed ‘dragon’ dish, Qianlong seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795)
Expert remark: Compare the near identical decorations, glaze, and size (25 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Near identical
Auction: Christie’s London, 7 November 2017, lot 84
Price: GBP 100,000 or approx. EUR 161,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A blue-ground yellow-enamelled 'dragon' dish, Qianlong six-character seal mark in underglaze blue and of the period (1736-1795)
Expert remark: Compare the near identical decorations, glaze, and size (25 cm).

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