A PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE 'SHANGPIN JIAQI' DISHES, WANLI China, 1573-1619. The shallow rounded sides supported on a straight foot, boldly painted in vigorous cobalt-blue to the interior with a central medallion enclosing a lotus flower with radiating foliate scrolls, the exterior with an undulating lotus scroll. The base with an underglaze blue four-character mark Shangpin jiaqi (high quality vessel). Provenance: From the collection of Sir David and Lady Scholey. Two old collector's labels, inscribed 'Shang P'in Chia Ch'i Ming' and 'High Quality Vessel', to the base of each dish. Sir David Scholey CBE FRSA achieved success as a merchant banker in the City of London, later becoming a director of the Bank of England and governor of the BBC. His commitment to the arts was reflected in his role as Chairman of Trustees of The National Portrait Gallery as well as a Director of the London Symphony Orchestra. A lifelong interest in music and art has been shared with his wife Alexandra and together they furnished Heath End House in Hampstead - once the residence of John McNeill Whistler. Regular purchases from the leading London antiques fairs and dealers allowed them to add to those pieces passed down from their families and thus assemble a magnificent collection over decades. Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear and firing flaws, such as kiln grit, dark spots, and pitting. Minimal fritting to rims and light scratches to base. One dish with a small shallow scratch to the rim, not to be confused with a hairline (all inspected under strong blue light). Weight: 285.9 g and 261.2 g Dimensions: Diameter 19 cm and 18.9 cm Auction result comparison: Compare a single near-identical dish, also with a Shangpin jiaqi mark and dated to the Wanli period, at Sotheby's Hong Kong in China, 5000 Years, on 4 June 2020, lot 513, sold for HKD 212,500 (for a single dish). 萬曆一對青花“上品佳器”盤 中國，1573-1619年。敞口，淺弧腹，圈足。盤内雙圈開光描繪纏枝蓮紋。外壁同樣為纏枝蓮紋。圈足内“上品佳器”四字款。 來源：David Scholey爵士先生和Alexandra Scholey女勛爵收藏。每個盤子底部都可見藏家收藏標簽 “Shang P'in Chia Ch'i Ming” 與 “High Quality Vessel”。David Scholey CBE FRSA 是倫敦非常成功的銀行家，曾是英格蘭銀行的董事和 BBC 總裁。 藝術方面，他曾擔任國家肖像美術館受託基金主席和倫敦交響樂團總監。 他與妻子Alexandra都非常鍾情音樂和藝術，他們一起為Hampstead曾是John McNeill Whistler的居所 Heath End House 配置了家具。 因爲他們定期從倫敦主要的古董展和經銷商那裡購買古玩，所以他們能夠不停家族流傳下來收藏添置新品，從而在幾十年裡建立了一個宏偉的收藏。 品相：狀況極好，只有輕微的磨損和燒製缺陷，如窯砂、黑斑和麻點。 邊緣輕微磨損，底部有輕微劃痕。一個盤子邊緣有一道細小的淺劃痕（全部在強藍光下檢查）。 重量：285.9克與 261.2克 尺寸：直徑19 厘米與18.9 厘米 拍賣結果比較：一件幾乎一模一樣的萬曆“上品佳器”盤，見香港蘇富比China, 5000 Years 2020年6月 4日 lot 513, 售價HKD 212,500 (僅一件)。