A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF DOUCAI 'BOYS' DISHES, YONGZHENG MARKS AND OF THE PERIOD China, 1723-1735. Finely decorated to the central interior with four boys holding leafy sprays in a fenced garden with ferny trees and colorful clouds, all within a double line border repeated at the rim. The exterior similarly decorated with twelve boys engaged in various pursuits, the base with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Qing Yongzheng nianzhi in a double circle and of the period.

Provenance: From an old Swedish estate. A private collector, acquired from the above via local auction. According to the auction house, the seller is a member of a notable Swedish family from the town of Uddevalla. The present lot was originally acquired by a grandparent of this seller, who was born in the late 1920s. It comes from the quality estate of this grandparent, which was entirely sold off by the auction house, and which had a few other good Chinese lots in it. The last name of the original seller will be revealed to the winning bidder upon request.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing flaws, such as minimal pitting and dark spots, each dish with a very short hairline to the rim, one with a microscopic chip to the foot.

Weight: 122.8 g and 126.6 g
Dimensions: Diameter 14.1 cm (each)

Each dish with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot. The exterior shows one group of boys riding a hobby horse, another group entertaining themselves with leaf sprigs and toys, and a third group catching goldfishes.

Literature comparison: Compare a closely related pair, of near-identical size and decoration, also with a Yongzheng mark and of the period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 April 2010, lot 1954.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams San Francisco, 10 December 2012, lot 5281
Price: USD 35,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of small doucai-decorated porcelain dishes with 'one hundred children at play', Chenghua marks, 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, motif, and size (15 cm)



雍正款及年代一對斗彩嬰戲圖盤
中國，1723-1735年。精美琺琅彩，盤中央開光，描繪四個童子園中斗草圖；外壁十二個童子園中愜意戲耍。圈足内雙圈内“大清雍正年製”六字款。

來源：瑞典老收藏，一個私人收藏家購於當地拍買會。據拍賣公司所述，賣家是Uddevalla小鎮的瑞典貴族家庭成員，此拍品為生於1920年代的賣家祖父收藏。此拍品為賣家祖父的遺產之一，其中有許多不錯的中國古董，皆於拍賣會中全數賣出。原賣家的姓氏將應要求向得標者透露。
品相：品相良好，輕微磨損和燒製缺陷，例如小凹坑和黑斑，每個盤子的邊緣都有很短的細裂，一個盤子足部有微小的磕碎。

重量：122.8 克與126.6 克
尺寸：直徑14.1 厘米(每件)

盤子淺壁，短圈足。外壁幾個童子分別在玩騎木馬、斗草和捕魚。

文獻比較：一對相似斗彩盤，幾乎一樣的尺寸和圖案，同樣為雍正款和年代，見香港蘇富比2010年4月8日，lot 1954。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：舊金山邦瀚斯，2012年12月10日，lot 5281
價格：USD 35,000（相當於今日EUR 45,000）
描述：十八世紀一對成化款斗彩百童嬰戲圖盤
專家評論：比較非常相近的外型、形制和尺寸(15厘米)。