Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Chinese Batavia Ware Bowl to the 19th Century.
Chinese, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing Period (c. 1796–1820)
This robustly potted bowl (225g) is a master class in the Batavia style of monochrome glazing.
The piece features a characteristic organic round form with a slight kiln-warped asymmetry, a technical hallmark of authentic early 19th-century porcelain produced in traditional wood-fired kilns.
The decoration is masterfully executed using a white-reserve technique, creating a vivid silhouette of a magpie perched amidst blossoming prunus branches. The brushwork possesses a calligraphic fluidity and intentionality; the bird’s spirited posture and the delicate rendering of the petals reflect the scholarly elegance of the Jiaqing era's classical revival.
Scholarship and Comparative Literature:
This specific "Bird and Prunus" motif on a deep Café au Lait ground is a sophisticated evolution of the earlier Kangxi imperial style. This piece finds its definitive scholarly parallel in the Brian McElney Book “CHINESE CERAMICS & THE MARITIME TRADE PRE -1700”, specifically documented work Chinese Ceramics by Brian McElney, illustrated as Entry No. 105. While the McElney example defines the 17th-century standard, the present lot—with its significant material "heft" and distinctive chocolate-tone— serves as the definitive early 19th-century iteration.
Authentication and Markings:
The base bears an inky underglaze blue 'grass-script' (caoshu) mark, with the cobalt having matured deep within the glaze over two centuries. Uniquely, the interior well features a raised, textured 'Zheng' mark in overglaze black enamel. The significant "cinder-like" oxidation and devitrification of this interior mark provide a critical chronological record, confirming a genuine 200-year environmental patina.
Technical Specifications
Dimensions: 12.5 cm (Diameter) x 7.5 cm (Height)
Weight: 225 g
Organic round form with slight kiln-warp (authentic period indicator).
Deep 'Batavia' Café au Lait (Chocolate) monochrome ground.
Reference: Chinese Ceramics: The Brian McElney Collection, Ref. 105.
Markings: Under glaze blue cursive mark (base); Oxidized over glaze 'Zheng' mark (interior).
Condition: Excellent antique condition; honest age-appropriate surface wear.
Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Chinese Batavia Ware Bowl to the 19th Century.
Specialising in antique silver, gold boxes, gold coins and objects de vertu. Rare fine-quality imperial chinese porcelain, jades, cloisonné
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Sandbanks Antiques Profile Page
A Rare 'Batavia' Chocolate-glazed 'Bird and Prunus' Reserve Bowl Chinese, Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing Period (C. 1796–1820)
