By Jiang Zhenglong, Daoguang period|Delicately enamelled in vivid colours to the exterior with the scene of an elegant lady fallen asleep over a book and dreaming of a young scholar approaching her luxuriant fenced garden, all below an underglaze blue and gilt decorated border at the rim, and a solid gilt band at the foot, the base with the maker's seal mark in iron red. 10.8cm (4 1/8in) diam.|Whilst it is rare in the Chinese tradition of porcelain production to see pieces bearing potters' or makers' marks until later in the 19th century, a few examples are known of famille rose pieces signed by Jiang Zhenglong and other artists, all active in the Daoguang period.A large vase bearing this mark was sold in our New Bond Street rooms, 10 Nov 2011, lot 188. Interestingly, a pair of bowls bearing both Jiang Zhenglong marks to the covers and Daoguang seal marks to the base, sold by Sotheby's New York on 23 March 2011, lot 792, seem to suggest that this artist may have been active within the official circles.