A CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE SAUCER DISH
TRANSITIONAL C.1640
Painted to the centre with two figures engaged in light conversation by a riverbank, they sit watching a sampan pass by through the shallow waters, all below a poem describing the scene, with a metal band to the rim, the base with a mark reading nei fu, 14.7cm.
The characters nei fu, meaning 'inner palace', denote imperial use.
Provenance: Sotheby's Amsterdam, 5th November 2003, lot 9. A copy of the original invoice is available.