An important and rare Imperial blue and white dragon bowl, Xuande six-character under glazed blue Marke and of the period (1339-1435) the bowl is finely decorated with a continuous frieze of four five-clawed dragons chasing flaming pearls and surrounded by cloud scrolls, the interior center with a circular panel enclosing a scaly dragon within blue circles, the base is with a finely written six-character Xuande mark within double blue circles 23 cm diameter, 9.5 cm high. Provenance: an important private collection, Sydney, Australia