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A RARE BLUE AND WHITE Kangxi periods], Beijing, 2005, pl. 266; one in the ૶ੰဢ ڡڀ᙭ჾ७ศཕయ
‘PHOENIX’ MALLET-FORM VASE National Museum of China, Beijing, is published ɽ૶ੰဢϋႡ‘ಛ
in Zhongguo Guojia Bowuguan guancang wenwu
KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD
yanjiu congshu/Studies on the Collections of the
elegantly potted, the bell-shaped body National Museum of China. Ciqi juan [Porcelain
surmounted by a cylindrical neck with lipped rim, section], Qingdai [Qing dynasty], Shanghai,
painted on both sides in with a highly stylized 2007, pl. 2; and a larger vase, but with the reign
kui phoenix design, its head on the neck of the mark within double circles, from the Meiyintang
vase dissolving into abstract blue scrolls draping Collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese
over the shoulders against a plain white ground, Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London,
the down-turned crested head grasping a ring 1994-2010, vol. II, pl. 754, was sold in our Hong
between its beak, the recessed base with a Kong rooms, 5th October 2011, lot 32 and again,
six-character reign mark in three columns in 5th April 2017, lot 3623. See also another vase,
underglaze blue but with the reign mark written in two horizontal
Height 6⅝ in., 16.8 cm lines, from the collections of J.T. Tai and Cyrus
and Mildred Churchill, sold at Christie’s New York,
Finely potted and brightly painted with a phoenix
31st May 2010, lot 1993.
in vivid shades of cobalt blue, this vase displays
the innovations made possible by the technical Vases of this type were also produced with
advances in porcelain production during the the design executed in copper red; see one in
Kangxi period (r. 1662-1722). The emperor’s the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, illustrated
revival of the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen early in Zhongguo taoci quanji [Complete series on
in his reign appears to have initiated a new Chinese ceramics], Shanghai, 1999, vol. 14, pl.
departure for porcelain design, creating vessels of 24; one in the National Palace Museum, Taipei,
fresh forms and spirited designs like the present published in Gugong Qing ci tulu. Kangxi yao,
vase. The motif of a kui-phoenix, king of all birds, Yongzheng yao/Illustrated Catalogue of Ch’ing
is known from bronze vessels from as early as Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum,
the Warring States period (ca. 475-221 BC), and Republic of China. K’ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng
the present stylized design demonstrates the Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 21; and another sold in our
Qing trend of reinterpreting archaistic designs to Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2013, lot 3116.
achieve modern aesthetics.
$ 60,000-80,000
A slightly larger vase of this type in the Palace
Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Chen Runmin,
Qing Shunzhi Kangxi chao qinghua ci [Qing
blue and white porcelain from the Shunzhi and

46 SOTHEBY’S