Sotheby's. Chinese Art, including Snuff Bottles and Jades from an Old Hong Kong Family Collection, Hong Kong, 28 november 2019
A large doucai 'dragon and phoenix' charger, mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735)
Lot 456. A large doucai 'dragon and phoenix' charger, mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735); 45 cm, 17 3/4 in. Estimate HKD 400,000 — 600,000. Lot Sold 500,000 HKD. © Sotheby's.
the rounded sides rising from a tapered foot to an everted rim, decorated in the centre with a phoenix and writhing dragon in mutual pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' amid multi-coloured cloud scrolls, the cavetto with a leafy lotus scroll, each flower with a shou character medallion, the everted lipped rim with a band of clouds, the underside with jagged rocks sprouting lingzhi fungus emerging from crested waves below soaring bats, the base inscribed with a six-character reign mark within a double circle.
Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 6th December 1994, lot 203.
Note: Visually commanding for the dense design of a dragon and phoenix amongst clouds covering a large form, the present charger is a magnificent example of the technical proficiency of craftsmen employed at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. The creative ingenuity of the Yongzheng potter is evident in the perfectly positioned and spaced elements of the design so that, despite its dense composition, attention is cleverly drawn to the central dragon and phoenix.