A pair of wucai 'Dragon and Phoenix' bowls, Seal marks and period of Daoguang
Lot 3177. A pair of wucai 'Dragon and Phoenix' bowls, Seal marks and period of Daoguang (1821-1850); 14.8 cm., 5 7/8 in. Estimate 300,000 — 400,000 HKD (29,357 — 39,143 EUR). Lot sold 740,000 HKD (72,415 EUR). Photo: Sotheby's.
the deep rounded sides rising from a short tapering foot to a slightly flared rim, finely painted on the exterior with a green and a red scaly dragon pacing over a ground of flowering scrolls in pursuit of a flaming pearl, divided by two descending phoenix, all below a narrow band decorated with the bajixiang divided by ruyi under the rim, the interior with a medallion enclosing a red five-clawed dragon writhing to reach a pearl amidst flames, all within double circles repeated at the rim, the base inscribed with the six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.
Provenance: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1st November 1994, lot 218.
Note: A pair of Daoguang bowls of this size and pattern from the Edward T. Chow Collection, sold in these rooms 19th May 1981, lot 578, is illustrated by Beurdeley and Raindre, Qing Porcelain, pl. 259; one from the Weishaupt Collection is illustrated by Avitabile, From The Dragon's Treasure, 1987, pl. 79. A pair in the Hong Kong Museum of Art was included in the Museum's Exhibition The Wonders of the Potter's Palette, Hong Kong, 1984, no. 100.
Sotheby's. Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong, 04 Apr 2012