Qing Dynasty, 19th century AD. A shallow glazed ceramic dish with blue floral motifs to the obverse, characters to the sidewall and underside. 227 grams, 15cm (6"). Property of a North London gentleman; acquired on the UK art market before 2000. The Tek Sing (True Star) wreck is one of the famous recovery stories of the 20th century. Sailing from the port of Xiamen (then known as Amoy) in February 1822 the vessel Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, Indonesia laden with porcelain goods and 1600 Chinese emigrants. The captain decided to pass through the Gaspar Strait, between the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and ran aground on a reef. The vessel sank in about 100 feet of water. The next morning, February 7, an English East Indiaman captained by James Pearl, passing through the same waters, encountered debris and some survivors and managed to rescue about 190 of the latter. [No Reserve]