A Very Rare Doucai Meiping. Yongzheng-Qianlong Period  (1723-1795) . photo Christie's Ltd 2011

The body of somewhat ovoid shape tapering towards the foot, finely painted on one side with a dragon and on the reverse with a phoenix with trailing tail feathers grasping a lingzhi sprig in its beak, both shown amidst composite foliate scroll bearing exotic flowers, between a ruyi border below and a ruyi collar above at the base of the short neck that rises to a lipped rim; 14½ in. (37 cm.) high - Estimate $300,000 - $500,000. Price Realized $362,500

Provenance: Hugh Moss Ltd., London, 1972.

Notes: A meiping of larger size (48.8 cm. high) decorated with a dragon and phoenix amidst foliate scroll and of similar proportions, but with slightly broader shoulders, from the collection of Sir John Buchanan-Jardine, BT., London, is illustrated in the Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-6, p. 201, no. 2177, where it is dated to the Yongzheng period. Another doucai meiping dated to the Yongzheng period and decorated with a similar design, but also of slightly larger size (41.2 cm. high) and with broader shoulders, sold in these rooms, 22 March 2007, lot 345. See, also, the doucai meiping and cover dated to the Qianlong period with similar, but more dense design, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 38 - Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 259, no. 237.

The dragon, long, and the phoenix, fenghuang, were explicit emblems of the emperor and empress, respectively, since the Han dynasty. When the dragon and phoenix are combined in a single design, they evoke an image of imperial power and strength.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I & II,  15 - 16 September 2011. New York, Rockefeller Plaza. www.christies.com