Blue and white 'lotus' bowl, Jiajing mark and period & 'dragon' bowl, Wanli mark and period

A large blue and white 'lotus' bowl. Jiajing mark and period. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby's

painted around the body in bright blue with a continuous band of lotus flowers issuing from leafy scrolls, between a double line encircling the rim and base, the interior with plain sides and a large medallion enclosing four lotus flowers, all within a double line border repeated at the rim; diameter 11 5/8 in., 29..5 cm - Estimate 30,000 - 40,000 USD

A small blue and white 'dragon' bowl. Wanli mark and period. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby's

the shallow body painted on the exterior with four floral medallions divided by cloud-scrolls, the interior painted with a central dragon medallion below a frieze of lanca characters at the everted rim, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark. diameter 3 7/8 in., 9.8 cm - Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 USD

Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26th November 1976, lot 58.

Christie's London, 11th June 1990, lot 16.

Exhibition: 'Blue and White Exhibition', Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1975, no. 47.Sotheby's Hong Kong, 26th November 1976, lot 58;.Christie's London, 11th June 1990, lot 16.

Sotheby's. Fine Ceramics and works of Art. 15 Sept 2010. New York www.sothebys.com