Lot 20. A blue and white ‘phoenix and peony’ brushpot, bitong, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 18.3cm., 7 1/4 in. Estimate 20,000-30,000 GBP. Lot sold 25,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

of cylindrical form, the exterior painted with a pair of phoenix, one depicted in flight while the other stands on jagged rocks, in a garden landscape amidst blossoming peony and crabapple trees with other birds and insects, all below a band of splashes at the foot and a chevron border at the rim.

Provenance: An American Private Collection.