Lot 127. A carved celadon-ground underglaze-blue decorated 'Liu Hai' phoenix-tail vase, Kangxi period (1662-1722), 17 1/2 in. (44.3 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 150,000 - HKD 260,000. Price realised HKD 225,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017

The base is painted with a single leaf in underglaze blue.

Provenance: Marchant & Sons, London
Berwald Oriental Art, London, 2012

NDB: Liu Haichan 劉海蟾, Liu Hai, or Haichanzi 海蟾子 "Master Sea-Toad" is a (c. 10th century) Daoist xian "transcendent; immortal" who is a patriarch of the Quanzhen School, and a master of neidan "internal alchemy" techniques. Liu Haichan is associated with other Daoist transcendents, especially Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, two of the Eight Immortals. Traditional Chinese and Japanese art frequently represented Liu with a string of square-holed cash coins and a mythical three-legged chánchú 蟾蜍 "toad; toad in the moon". In the present day, it is called the jīnchán 金蟾 "Money Toad", and Liu Haichan is considered an embodiment of Caishen "God of Wealth". (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Christie's. The Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 2 October 2017, Alexandra House, Hong Kong