A large Chinese Imperial yellow-ground 'dragon' charger: with Chuxiugong mark, incised and painted in green, white and aubergine with two five-clawed dragons chasing a flaming pearl amongst cloud scrolls and flames within a central medallion, the sides with prunus, peony, chrysanthemum and lotus, the rim with six further dragons, the underside with four dragons and five cranes in flight, underglaze blue four-character seal mark 'Chu Xiu Gong Zhi' [Produced for the Palace of Assembled Elegance], Guangxu period, 47.5 cm diameter [crack to rim with associated filled chip].*PLEASE NOTE - There will be no internet bidding on this lot and all requests for telephone or absentee bidding must be received by 16.30pm GMT on Monday 17th January 2022 together with a deposit of £1,000 paid by debit card or bank transfer. (If unsuccessful you will be refunded (without interest) within seven working days)* Notes Bears part of a paper label 'Ashmolean Museum/On loan from Mr.F.C.Harrison/78'. Francis Capel Harrison [1863-1938] was Conservative MP for Kennington in 1922/3 and a renowned private collector of Chinese works of art who retained a long connection with the Ashmolean Museum, the British Museum and the London dealer Bluett and Sons. It appears that this dish (with another) was included in Bluett's 1925 Exhibition 'A Collection of Old Chinese Monochrome Porcelain' no.57 and was sold to John Sparks on 10th June 1925 for £40. According to the exhibition catalogue it was taken from the Imperial Palace, Peking in 1899/1900.*Notes The Chuxiugong Palace is located to the North East of the Six Western Palaces in the Forbidden City, Beijing and together with the Six Eastern Palaces accommodated the concubines and the Emperor's wives, including the Empress Dowager Cixi [1835-1908]. In the 1880s Empress Cixi carried out a refurbishment of the Palace, including objects of imposing size, many modelled after Kangxi originals.*Notes Literature Gunhild Avitabile 'Vom Schatz der Drachen-From the Dragon's Treasure' pages 108 and 109 for a discussion of 'Chuxiu gong zhi' dishes. Roy Davids & Dominic Jellinek 'Provenance' page 223 for details of the F.C.Harrison provenance.