Page 406 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art

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PROPERTY OF A LADY This rare design of a band of phoenix below a
band of dragons is unique to the Kangxi period
A RARE YELLOW-GROUND GREEN- and was only produced in this green and yellow
ENAMELLED ‘DRAGON AND palette, which was first introduced during the
PHOENIX’ BOWL Zhengde reign (1506-1521). Bowls of this type
MARK AND PERIOD OF KANGXI and decorated with this design are rare and only
a limited number of examples is known; a closely
well potted with deep rounded sides rising from related example in the Tsui Museum of Art is
a tapered foot to a gently flaring rim, the exterior illustrated in Chinese Ceramics IV. Qing Dynasty,
delicately incised and painted in green enamel Hong Kong, 1995, pl. 111; another from the
on a bright egg-yolk yellow ground, depicting a collection of Mrs M. Constantinidi, published in
band of two five-clawed dragons striding amongst Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London,
flames in pursuit of flaming pearls, above five 1951, pl. LXIX, no. 2, was sold in our London
phoenix roundels divided by stylised cloud rooms, 8th July 1947, lot 22; and two were sold at
scrolls, the interior painted in underglaze blue Christie’s Hong Kong, the first from the collection
with a central medallion enclosing a stylised shou of Christina Loke Balsara, 19th January 1988,
character encircled by scrolling clouds, all within lot 284, and the second, 5th/6th November
double-line borders repeated at the rim, the base 1997, lot 972. As yellow-glazed wares with green
inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a dragons are mentioned in palace regulations as
double circle having been reserved for fourth-rank fei consorts,
15 cm, 5⅞ in. this rare variation of the phoenix and dragon
motif may have been produced for a special
PROVENANCE occasion, such as a birthday, as suggested by the
Robert Peters Antiques Ltd, London, 1998. auspicious character on the interior.
A European collection.
Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st June 2011, lot 3510. Phoenix depicted with their wings outstretched
and their long feathers forming a roundel
HK$ 1,400,000-1,800,000 became a popular motif during the Kangxi period,
US$ 179,000-231,000 appearing on porcelain bowls painted in copper
red and in underglaze blue. See for example
清康熙 黃地綠彩龍鳳紋盌 a Kangxi mark and period bowl painted with
《大清康熙年製》款 phoenix roundels in copper red, in the National
Palace Museum, Taipei, included in Catalogue
來源： of the Special Exhibition of K’ang-Hsi, Yung-
Robert Peters Antiques Ltd，倫敦，1998年 Cheng and Ch’ien-Lung Porcelain Ware from the
歐洲收藏 Ch’ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum,
香港佳士得2011年6月1日，編號3510 Taipei, 1986, cat. no. 7; another from the T.Y.
Chao collection, sold in these rooms, 25th
November 1980, lot 113; and an underglaze-blue
example included in Exhibition of Ancient Chinese
Ceramics, The Kau Chi Society of Chinese Art,
Hong Kong, 1981, cat. no. 111.

Mark

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