YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)

The depiction of the sea (hai), pavilion (wu), and the tally (chou) grasped in the beak of the crane in flight form the rebus, haiwu tianchou, which expresses a wish for longevity.

Yongzheng-marked dishes of this design can be found in renowned museums and private collections. Examples include one illustrated in Porcelains from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pls. 159 and 160; another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by W. B. Honey in Chinese Porcelain, London, 1927, no. 86a; a further example featured in Sekai toji zenshu - 15 Qing, Tokyo, 1983, p. 174, no. 191; one sold at Sotheby’s New York, 23 September 1997, lot 359; a pair sold at Christie’s New York, 23 March 2012, lot 2034; and one from the collection of Dr. James D. Thornton, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2017, lot 2810.