A Chinese late Ming bowl with chi dragons, early C17th

Code: 250403

A Chinese bowl dating from the late Ming period, boldly decorated in underglaze blue with chilong (hornless dragons).  The exterior of the bowl is deocrated with two chilong separated by plant motifs, and the interior also has a single dragon in the centre.  The base has an underglaze blue seal script mark.  Diameter 12cm (4.7")

A similar bowl is in the collection of the Topkapi Saray museum, and is illustrated in figure 1525 in 'Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul' by Regina Krahl.

Date: early Seventeenth Century c 1600-25

Condition: There is one small chip to the rim of the bowl, and a significiant amount of glaze fritting around the rim.  There is an area of pale brown speckling to the glaze in the interior.  Please see our photographs.