Yellow-Ground Famille Rose Bowl with Interlocking Lotus and Baoxiang Flower Scrolls

You won't find this flower in any garden. It's the baoxiang hua, an imaginary bloom invented by Chinese artists, part lotus, part peony, with a little of several other flowers mixed in. It was meant to be more perfect than any real flower could be, and it came to stand for dignity, good fortune and prosperity.

Here the baoxiang flowers open all around the outside of the bowl, linked by scrolling vines in pink, purple, green and blue, on a bright imperial-yellow ground. Then look inside: the whole interior is a calm, unbroken turquoise green with a fine natural crackle, framed by a thin gilt rim. Yellow was the emperor's colour, and the vivid pairing feels almost modern.

The bowl is of open form with gently rounded sides and a raised foot ring, its rim picked out in gilt. The exterior is covered in a brilliant yellow ground and densely decorated in famille rose enamels with scrolling baoxiang flowers, their graceful foliage and blossoms flowing continuously around the vessel in a rich and sumptuous palette. The interior is glazed in turquoise green, a decorative scheme characteristic of Qing courtly famille rose wares. The baoxiang flower combines features of the peony and lotus, symbolising dignity, auspiciousness, and prosperity, while the combination of yellow ground and famille rose enamels conveys the sumptuous aesthetic associated with imperial court porcelain.

The interior is covered in a vivid turquoise-green glaze, with a lustrous surface traversed by a fine network of naturally occurring crackle. The rim is accented with a delicate gilt border. Known as “turquoise green” or qiukui lü (“okra green”), this glaze was a characteristic interior glaze for Qing-dynasty famille rose imperial wares and was frequently paired with yellow-ground famille rose decoration on the exterior. Its bright, refined tone was particularly favoured for the interiors of courtly bowls and dishes.

The exterior is covered in a brilliant yellow ground and densely painted with scrolling baoxiang flowers. The blossoms are rendered with layered, full petals, while the foliage and scrolling stems flow continuously around the vessel in an intricate, rhythmic composition. Pink, purple, green, and blue enamels are carefully juxtaposed to create a rich and harmonious palette, with the finely painted lines lending the design considerable delicacy and movement. The uninterrupted scrolling vines symbolise continuity, enduring prosperity, and flourishing vitality, while the baoxiang flower, rooted in Buddhist auspicious imagery, conveys purity, dignity, good fortune, and lasting prosperity.

The underside is fully covered in turquoise-green glaze, its lustrous surface traversed by a fine network of natural crackle. At the centre, within a square cartouche, is the four-character mark “康熙御制” (Kangxi yuzhi) rendered in underglaze cobalt-blue seal script. This mark is associated with Kangxi-period imperial enamelled porcelains, including falangcai and famille rose wares, and was used on select courtly objects made for the imperial household. The outer foot ring continues the yellow-ground famille rose decoration of scrolling baoxiang flowers, while a narrow undecorated band is retained around the foot wall, reflecting the careful and refined execution of the vessel.