Qing Dynasty, 19th century AD. A blue-glazed porcelain bowl with tall basal ring and flared rim; decorative rings to the inner and outer basal ring and rim, and a floral frieze around the body; signature contained in two concentric circles on the base. 405 grams, 16.5cm (6 1/2"). From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a UK collection, acquired in the 1990s. The Tek Sing (True Star) wreck is one of the famous recovery stories of the 20th century. Sailing from the port of Xiamen (then known as Amoy) in February 1822 the vessel Tek Sing was bound for Jakarta, Indonesia laden with porcelain goods and 1600 Chinese emigrants. The captain decided to pass through the Gaspar Strait, between the Bangka-Belitung Islands, and ran aground on a reef. The vessel sank in about 100 feet of water. The next morning, February 7, an English East Indian captained by James Pearl, passing through the same waters, encountered debris and some survivors and managed to rescue about 190 of the latter. [No Reserve]