The bowls thinly potted with rounded sides supported on a short foot. The sides are decorated with foliate scrolls, interspaced with arabesques and honeysuckle. The base inscribed with a six-character Jiaqing seal mark in underglaze blue.
A pair of doucai ‘honeysuckle’ bowls (Jiaqing mark and period, 1796-1820)
Description
Dimensions: 10.2cm diameter, 5.8cm high
Provenance:
A private Irish collection
The bowls thinly potted with rounded sides supported on a short foot. The sides are decorated with foliate scrolls, interspaced with arabesques and honeysuckle. The base inscribed with a six-character Jiaqing seal mark in underglaze blue.
Honeysuckle is a resilient, climbing plant that thrives even through winter. In Buddhist tradition, it symbolises the immortality of the soul and the endless cycle of reincarnation. Its earliest depictions date back to the grottoes of the Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties. Over time, it became a decorative motif on imperial porcelain, symbolising good fortune and longevity.
Compare a bowl with similar design in underglaze blue, also Jiaqing mark and period, sold at Christie’s New York, 23 March 2018, lot 747. A similar bowl, Daoguang mark and period, can be found in the collection of Tsinghua University Art Museum, Beijing.
