A BLUE AND WHITE ‘EIGHT HORSES OF MU WANG’ BOWL, KANGXI PERIODChina, 1662-1722. Of conical form, supported on a straight foot and rising to an everted rim protected by a copper band, which is original to the piece. The widely flared sides painted to the exterior with seven lively horses in a continuous grass field landscape with mountains in the background. The interior with a medallion showing the eighth horse, resting between two craggy rocks with its abdomen facing upwards.Provenance: From a private collection in London, United Kingdom.Condition: Very good condition with only minor wear, few firing irregularities, and light scratches.Weight: 299 gDimensions: Diameter 17.5 cmThe recessed base with an apocryphal six-character markda Ming Jiajing nianzhi within a double circle.The charming scene represents the Eight Horses of King Mu Wang, who reigned during the Zhou dynasty in the 10th Century BC, and these Eight Horses were his favorite chargers which pulled the Emperor's chariot as he progressed about his realm to visit the Goddess Hsi Wang Mu.Expert’s note: The present lot belongs to a small yet well-recorded group of blue and white bowls, all painted with the Eight Horses of Mu Wang, and bearing six-character marks da Ming Jiajing nianzhi within a double circle. Note that it has most recently been suggested by some scholars that these bowls might rather date to the Jiajing period (1521-1567) instead of the Kangxi period (1662-1722).Literatureparison:For a pair of dishes with similar iron-painted rims and Jiajing marks, dated to the early Qing dynasty, see Yeo and Martin, Chinese Blue & White Ceramics, Arts Orientalis, Singapore, 1978, p. 248 and pl. 160, nos. 296 and 297. Another bowl of similar form, horse decoration, and Jiajing mark, dated to the later Transitional period is published in Richard Kilburn, Transitional Wares and Their Forerunners, Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong, 1981, p. 148, no. 97.Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 11 March 2022, lot 489Price:EUR 8,848Description: A blue and white ‘eight horses of Mu Wang’ bowl, Kangxi periodExpert remark:pare the closely related form, motif, manner of painting, and Jiajing mark. Note the size (16.7 cm).康熙時期青花《穆王八駿》碗中國，1662-1722年。碗敞口，微外撇，斜腹，圈足，口沿施醬色釉。碗外壁青花描繪群山為景，七匹馬或是嬉戲，或是休憩，或是奔跑。碗内開光青花繪製第八匹馬。