Unusual well painted goldfish decorated bowl with a gilt rim, the fish with their bulging eyes painted in overglaze iron red encircling the exterior are amidst grasses in green enamel, the interior glazed white, an apocryphal Yongzheng six character mark in underglaze red on the white base. Guangxu. 4 3/4 in. diam.
Condition: Two hairlines as shown on photographs. No chips, cracks or other damages.
Provenance: Boston, Massachusetts collection.
This bowl is rare. The goldfish design is highly desirable and was always difficult to find, especially in the current market where little Chinese porcelain remains. Additionally it is very unusual to find a Guangxu bowl of this type with a Yongzheng underglaze iron red mark since these bowls were either unmarked, on occasion had a Guangxu mark or had an apocryphal Qianlong mark on them. Iron red Yongzheng marks on Guangxu porcelain almost never appear.
