A BLUE AND WHITE ‘ASTER’ BOWL, KANGXI PERIODChina, 1662-1722. Well potted with deep rounded sides and a foliate rim, painted around the exterior with panels enclosing flowering asters, all above a lappet band, the interior with four detached lotus sprays above, the central medallion with a single large aster among scrolling foliage.Provenance: French trade. By repute from an old estate in the south of France.Condition: Very good condition with old wear, some manufacturing flaws including obvious small frits, glaze flakes, dark spots and minuscule glaze recesses.Weight: 599.4 gDimensions: Diameter 19.2 cmLiteratureparison:The present bowl appears to be inspired by a type of bowl that originated in the Yongle period, known as lianzi wan (lotus bowl) from its resemblance to the form of a lotus pod. The form retained its popularity through the reign of Xuande, as demonstrated by a group of Xuande-marked lianzi bowls in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in the Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Selected Hsüan-te Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, Taipei, 1998, pp. 360-377, nos. 153-161.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby’s New York, 20 March 2018, lot 465Price: USD 3,500 or approx.EUR 4,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A blue and white ‘aster’ fluted bowl, Qing dynasty, Kangxi periodExpert remark: Note the closely related size (19.1 cm)康熙時期青花開光菊花葵口碗中國，1662-1722年。葵口，碗外壁模印蓮瓣開光菊花紋，碗内壁四朵纏枝蓮花，碗心開光菊花紋。