The deep rounded bowls are raised upon circular foot rims and painted with a lemon yellow background with scrolling foliage in dark green and blue amongst flowers – including lotus, peony, camellia, passionflower and hibiscus; this decoration is repeated on the two matching shallow under dishes. The covers are domed, and decorated with blue flowers and a blue coiled dragon in the centre of the knob surrounded by a pink floral scroll – the bowls with pink flowers and a more elaborate blue coiled dragon to the inside of the foot. The interiors are enamelled in white – each with a single flower spray in the bottom well.

Pieces with a yellow ground usually have an Imperial association, and – although this set is unmarked and, therefore, cannot be called Imperial with any certainty – the shape and subject matter are Chinese taste, and the workmanship is of the highest order. Documents in the Archives of the Imperial household workshops at Yangxin Hall no.3475 – and mentioned by Yang in ‘Tributes from Guandong to the Qing Court’ page 31 – indicate that pieces were also presented to the Imperial Court without marks.

similar examples
‘Chinese Painted Enamels’, by Michael Gillingham, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1978 – plate 75.

‘Chinese Porcelains and Enamels from The Alfred Morrison Collection, Fonthill House’, Christie’s, London sale, 9th November 2004 – lot 18: a pair of bowls and covers.