Lot 166. A pair of wucai 'Dragon and Phoenix' bowls, Daoguang seal marks and period (1821-1850). Diameter 6 1/4  in., 15.9 cm. Estimate: 20,000 — 30,000 USD. Lot sold 25,000 USD. © Sotheby's.

each with deep, rounded sides set over a slightly tapered foot and flaring at the rim, the exterior painted in bright enamels with two five-clawed dragons each pursuing a 'flaming pearl', a pair of soaring phoenix dividing the dragons, the interior with a dragon medallion at the well, the base with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue (2).

Note: Bowls decorated in the wucai palette bearing images of dragons and phoenix in the present arrangement and imperial marks on the base came into vogue during the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and continued under subsequent Qing emperors. Bowls of this type from the Daoguang reign (1820-1850) include a pair sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2144; a single bowl sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3628; an example sold in these rooms, 18th March 2017, lot 1010; one sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 3736; and one sold at Christie's Paris, 13th June 2018, lot 144.

Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art, New York, 12 sept. 2018, 10:30 AM