A pair of famille rose Sheng De Tang mark bowls with plum trees and bamboo

Daoguang period

Each with four-character mark to underside. (2).

H: 2 7/8, Dia: 6 7/8 in. (H: 7.3, Dia: 17.46 cm.)

Provenance: Ms. Sun, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Acquired from an estate sale of a prominent local family.

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The Shen De Tang, which translates to the Hall for the Cultivation of Virtue, was originally a set of buildings in Yuanmingyuan. It was later rebuilt by the order of the Daoguang Emperor, who gave it its name, and this hall served the same function and importance as the Yangxin Hall in the Forbidden City. Out of the Daoguang Emperor’s love for the Shende Tang, he required that all daily necessities of this hall bear the four-character "Shende Tang Zhi" mark. Because of this, starting from the fourteenth year of Daoguang, the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln produced a large quantity of high-quality Shende Tang marked porcelain, which were comparable in craftsmanship to Yongzheng imperial porcelains, for Daoguang Emperor's personal use. Shende Tang porcelains are known for their elegance, with vibrant colors and gold accents throughout. Most Shende Tang marks are red. These bowls are decorated with beautiful famille rose painted plum blossoms and gold orchids under a clear white glaze. The underside features four-character "Shengde Tang Zhi" mark. These colorful bowls, reminiscent of Yongzheng porcelains, serve as exceptional examples of the craftsmanship of the Daoguang period.

The Palace Museum, No. 00038834, figure one.

Christie's, New York, March 2021, Lot 732; Christie's, London, November 2011, Lot 434.

“慎德堂”最初是圓明園內的一組宮殿建築，由道光皇帝親自命人重新翻修建成，並賜名爲“慎德堂”，其作用和地位不啻於紫禁城中的養心殿。出於對慎德堂的偏愛，道光皇帝要求慎德堂的日用品上，均帶有“慎德堂制”的標誌。從道光十四年起，景德鎮御窯廠傾全國之力，燒造了一大批能夠代表當時制瓷最高水平的慎德堂款瓷器，作爲道光皇帝的私人御用瓷器，其精美程度足以媲美雍正官窯。慎德堂瓷器的特點是高貴華麗，以金色爲主，色彩豔麗，其款識絕大多數爲紅彩側鋒“慎德堂制”四字楷書款。本件拍品通體釉水潔白滋潤，在素淨瑩潤的釉面上繪粉彩梅花紋，吐萼含苞，風姿清雅。近底部以金彩繪以蘭花，十分華貴。圈足內寫“慎德堂制”四字楷書礬紅款，字體清麗工整。此件粉彩瓷色澤清新淡雅，頗有幾分雍正瓷器的端莊秀美之意。粉彩的低調配上金彩的奢華，畫工細緻入微，不愧是道光時期瓷器中的精品佳作。

參閱故宮博物院館藏，編號新00038834，見圖1。參閱佳士得拍賣2021年03月紐約拍賣，編號732；2011年11月倫敦拍賣，編號434.

Minor iron pitting on the side of one bowl. One with a crack to the rim.