Two late Qing dynasty arbalete shaped supper set porcelain bowls painted on the arched exterior in the Straits Chinese style (also called Nonya or Peranakan) with white lotus heads and scrolling foliage accented with green and sky blue set against a deep blue ground. The interior is glazed turquoise. At the center front, a gold shou symbol is below a white bat. The rim and base are highlighted with gold. The white base of each bowl holds a square form zhuanshu red six-character Tongzhi mark (1862-1875). Possibly of the period. Each bowl measures 7 1/2” long x about 5” deep and stands slightly over 2 1/8” high. Very good overall condition. As discussed on pages 58 and 59 of "Straits Chinese Porcelain: A Collector's Guide" by Ho Wing Meng, these rare dark blue ground dishes with shou symbols and scrolling foliage are generally considered to have been produced for the Straits Chinese communities in Malacca. From the private collection of a former American expatriot to Guangzhou and Beijing from 1983-1987.