A FINE PAIR OF WUCAI 'DRAGON AND PHOENIX' BOWLS MARKS AND PERIOD OF KANGXI

each with deep rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to a gently flared rim, the exterior vividly decorated with a green and a red dragon striding in pursuit of flaming pearls, interrupted by a pair of descending phoenix, all below a band of bajixiang and ruyi emblems, the interior with a medallion enclosing a red five-clawed dragon writhing next to a flaming pearl, the base inscribed in underglaze-blue with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle, wood stands

Purchased in Paris, 1990s.

Apart from insignificant pinholes to the glaze, especially on the rim, the bowls are in good condition.
"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."

Bowls painted in brilliant wucai enamels with a dragon and phoenix among a leafy scroll were an innovation of the Kangxi period. This auspicious design, which refers to the Emperor and Empress and conveys the wish for a happy marriage, grew in popularity in the succeeding reigns, when large quantities of bowls of this type were produced.

Kangxi mark and period bowls of three different sizes from the Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, were included in the exhibition Qing Imperial Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1995, cat. no. 26; a pair in the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, is illustrated in Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, pl. 153; a single bowl from the collection of C.P. Lin was included in the exhibited Elegant Form and Harmonious Decoration, Percival David Foundation, London, 1992, cat. no. 121; and a pair was included in the Hong Kong Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Ch’ing Polychrome Porcelain, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 32.

See also a pair of slightly larger bowls in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition Kangxi. Empereur de Chine, Musée National du Château de Versailles, Versailles, 2004, cat. no. 59; and a slightly smaller bowl, also from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 135.

For a later version of this motif, see a Qianlong mark and period bowl in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Museum, illustrated in Keitokuchin Jiki [Jingdezhen porcelain], Kyoto, 1982, p. 119 (bottom).