Lot 1764. A rare and unusual iron-red-decorated stem bowl, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 5 3/8 in. (13.6 cm.) high. Estimate USD 30,000 - USD 40,000. Price realised USD 35,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2011. 

Finely potted and raised on a tall, slender foot, vividly painted beneath the slightly everted rim in iron-red with two winged dragons in pursuit of flaming pearls, the details of their eyes rendered in black enamel, the interior painted in iron red with a shou character encircled by a stylized border of ruyi heads.

Provenance: Acquired in the 1970s.

Note: Kangxi period stem bowls of this type appear to be extremely rare, with Qianlong-marked examples being much more common. A nearly identical stem bowl, also dated to the Kangxi period, although with its original cover, is illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 84, no. 67. When compared to the Qianlong examples, it is interesting to note the differences in painting style, with the Kangxi examples being much more bold, and the Qianlong examples being more delicate and finely rendered. For a photograph of how this type of stem bowl was used for ritual offerings in the 'Hall of the Sun Buddha', see Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1998, pp. 267-7.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Part I and Part II Including Property from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York, 24 March 2011