A pair of rare pair of Famille-Verte ewers and covers, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period. Photo Sotheby's

the pear-shaped body of each well-modeled with spiraling ribs, repeated on the high arching C-form handle, upright spout and domed cover, painted with lotus, scattered flowers, pairs of birds and fluttering butterflies, against a ground of iron-red stippling, the base glazed white  (4). Height 10 7/8  in.,  27.6 cm. Estimation 8,000 — 12,000 USD

PROVENANCE: Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York, 1980s.

NOTE: It is rare to find a true complementary pair of ewers. The combination of flowers, butterflies and songbirds indicates that this pair was commissioned as a wedding gift for a young couple. The conforming raised swirls of the forms, done in a brilliant imitation of fine metalwork, would have been demanding for even the most skilled of the Jingdezhen artisans.

Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art. New York | 17 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com/