A 'CIZHOU' PAINTED 'DRAGON AND PHOENIX' JAR YUAN DYNASTY

of baluster form rising from a recessed base to broad shoulder and a straight neck, vividly painted in washes of brown on a cream-white glaze, one side with a dragon writhing among clouds, the other with a large en face Phoenix with outstretched wings, each enclosed in a large lozenge panel and divided by swiftly drawn flowers, all below a band of large leafy flowers reserved on a hatched ground encircling the neck, the base left in the rough revealing a pale buff-coloured ware

There are several flakes of varying sizes to the surface glaze of the jar, including some on the head of the dragon (showing on the illustration in the catalogue). There are further flakes around the foot rim and surface wear/ flakes to the body extending on approx. one third of the circumference of the vase slightly above the foot. There are further expected imperfections in the glaze or stained crackling consistent with the type, but overall the vase is in fairly good condition. The painting is very vivid and deftly executed. The actual colour is slightly less yellow, more cream-white compared to the illustration in the catalogue.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A jar of this type, in the Kazuo Museum, Liaoning province, is illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics. Liao, Western Xia, Jin, vol. 9, Shanghai, 1999, pl. 179; another in the Cleveland Museum of Art, was included in the exhibition Freedom of Clay and Brush through Seven Centuries in Northern China. Tz'u-chou Type Wares, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1980, cat. no. 93, illustrated together with two related jars, one in the Los Angeles County Museum, and the other recovered underneath the walls of the Yuan capital Dadu, present day Beijing, figs 268 and 269; and two further jars were sold in our London rooms, 5th July 1977,lot 140, and, 7th December 1993, lot 174.