Page 208 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

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A RARE SMALL WUCAI ‘DRAGON AND ᒞ⭧ᔧ ̪ྑ㹪㲌ᆬ὜♄ല↲ 㢴२Վಧ᜷ᕋᢎ
PHOENIX’ DISH 䂆㺨Ꮘⅸ⡠ἃⶃᝃᇙ≢ӳ⎏⣌ݱ⡠㱈卿჎㇦ᙻཨ༿㖅ഌ⎏Նᆭ⏎ӳǯ᫉
WANLI SIX-CHARACTER MARK WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE IN ⏎଍ᆨཎႛ卿㞏ᆭ㸓ⰴ卿⊺႙⡿⤤卿ظໄⰮൃǯ㩶⏎ᇵսം卿⏎ݤڬՔ
UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND OF THE PERIOD (1573-1619) 㱈ս䂆㺨Ꮘⅸ⡠卿ࢦߎ⧎㇦ǯ㯸ַ⎏ⶃᝃՆᆭཎ⏎जࣻ⩠卿Ӭᙻ
The dish is painted to the centre with a five-clawed dragon ჺ ᝲ ᚚᙻٳᘹצ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卿औӬἃ⅌Ⳍల⯠⻦卿
and phoenix in flight in pursuit of a flaming pearl, the cavetto ჺ ᝲ ᚚᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卿ݦ։⏎ݤڬ⎐㱈սᐙ៨Ɽ៧⡠ǯ
is similarly painted with two pairs of dragons and phoenix
᫉⏎㩠ᚚទណ⏁卿ӳ㬷ᝳӬ⧤᪪ǸபទǹԠ᧐⟕ǯ
interspersed by ruyi clouds. The exterior is painted with eight
alternating flowering and fruiting sprays.
4¡ in. (11.1 cm.), diam., Japanese wood box
HK$150,000-200,000 US$20,000-26,000
The dragon-and-phoenix design symbolising the Emperor and the
Empress is a popular motif on Wanli imperial porcelain. The current
design with the dragon-and-phoenix pair shown in pursuit of a flaming
pearl more often appears on larger wucai dishes from this period.
The current dish is further distinguished by its especially vibrant
enamel colours, fine quality of painting, and the elaborate composition
featuring dragon-and-phoenix design on both the centre and the
cavetto. For other small Wanli wucai dishes with the dragon-and-
phoenix motif on the centre but surrounded by flowering and fruiting
sprays on the cavetto, compare to an example sold at Christie’s London,
22 July 2006, lot 145, and another from the Meiyintang Collection, sold
at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 7 April 2011, lot 69.
The Japanese wood box accompanying this dish is attached with a
Sakamoto label.

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