Kangxi dish – £4800 at Aldridges of Bath.
Measuring over 14in (35cm) across, it has two forms of decoration: incised five-clawed dragons chasing the flaming pearl, and enamelled leafy branches bearing peaches and pomegranates rendered in colourful shades of green, yellow, aubergine and blue.
As the illustration suggests, it was badly damaged (a large section had broken away and the pieces to repair it were incomplete) but it found many admirers at the estimate of just £150-250 at the auction on March 31. It sold at £4800 to a bidder using thesaleroom.com.
The price should be seen in the context of two similar dishes bearing this rare double-decoration sold by Christie’s Hong Kong in 2013.
In better condition, these took close to HK$1m (around £100,000) each.
