Enamelled porcelain ‘Butterflies’ bowl, Qing dynasty

A porcelain bowl, with a narrow circular foot and a rounded body that widens slightly towards the mouth, which is covered with a fine golden colour. It is decorated with coloured enamels meticulously depicting beautiful butterflies with outstretched wings, alternating with the Chinese characters ‘囍’ for double happiness, symbol of prosperity and union, which together with the symbolism of the butterfly, representing longevity, give great significance to the piece. 

On the base, it shows a four-character seal ‘同治年制’ of the Tongzhi dynasty (1862–1874).

Height: 9.5 cm; Mouth diameter: 16.7 cm; Base diameter: 7.7 cm