A pair of finely-decorated Chinese iron red-ground "Gourds" dishes
Qing dynasty, Guangxu period
Finely decorated with gourd design, gilt-veined foliage and scrollwork, gilt ruyi-head border, exterior painted with "Fu Lu Shou Xi" characters in circular reserves with bats, against a yellow fret ground, underside with ruyi scepter and auspicious symbols (2).
NOTE: Compare a related pair of smaller (6 3/4 in.) dishes, from an Asian private collection, acquired in Taipei in the 1980s, sold at Christie's Hong Kong (online), April 12, 2018, lot 10.