| The inside well decorated with painted depictions of pine, prunus and bamboo growing together, a lingzhi mushroom in the background, all symbolizing the "three friends of winter", the exterior painted with boys playing amongst a fenced garden, the bottom bearing a six character Qianlong mark in underglaze blue and of the period. 7 in.
Provenance: New York collection
The "three friends of winter" motif runs through most of the history of porcelain production. During the 18th C the Imperial kilns produced some of the finest examples, and they appear to have been a favorite of the Qianlong Emperor. Compare Christies Hong Kong, March 20, 1990, lots 582,583,588; Sotheby's New York, November 28, 1994, lot 347; Christies Hong Kong, October 28, 2002, lot 700. |
