They were thus the perfect decoration for a Chinese New Year gift such as this pair of Daoguang (1821-50) mark and period medallion bowls offered by Tennants (24/22% buyer’s premium) in Leyburn on November 11.
As medallion bowls go, these are top drawer.
In addition to the finely painted vignettes to the imperial yellow ground with scrolling sgraffito decoration, they are internally decorated in underglaze blue with similar scenes of three goats beneath prunus branches.
Daoguang mark and period medallion bowls, £90,000 at Tennants.
Another very similar example is in the permanent display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, while others have sold at auctions in London and Hong Kong for close to six figures.
Tennants’ pair, in good condition, was guided at £30,000-50,000 and made £90,000.
