A Chinese yellow ground 'happiness' dish four character Tongzhi mark in iron-red and probably of the period, and three similar spoons, decorated with a design for the wedding of the Dowager Empress Cixi's son, Zaichun, brightly enamelled in iron red with rows of xi characters radiating from a central shou character, all reserved on a bright yellow ground, the reverse with flower sprays, 22.4cm. (4)

Provenance: formerly in a private Swedish collection, purchased in China in 1956.

Cf. R Longsdorf, The Tongzhi Imperial Wedding Porcelain, included in Chinese Ceramics, Selected Articles from Orientations 1982-1998, p.369, fig.19, where bowls of this pattern are illustrated.