Lot 326: RARE GOURDE EN PORCELAINE BLEU BLANC ET ROUGE DE FER

CHINE, EPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)
Le corps de forme circulaire aplatie, reposant sur un petit pied ovale, le col étroit rehaussé de deux anses représentant des têtes de phoenix stylisés, la panse décorée sur chaque face de deux grands phoenix rouges volant de part et d'autre de la perle sacrée, entourés de pivoines et lotus également rouges, parsemés au milieu de rinceaux en bleu sous couverte, le col orné d'une petite frise de ruyi, le pied de fleurs et rinceaux
Hauteur: 21,8 cm (8 5/8 in.)

Formerly in the collection of Major the Hon Robert and Violet Carnegie and thence by descent to their great-grandchildren

Compare with a moon flask combining underglaze-blue and pink enamels depicting phoenixes illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol.15, pls.92 and 93, from the Matsuoka Museum of Art, Tokyo ; see also the flask of the same type with the Qianlong mark sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25 November 1987, lot 189.
Such vases usually bear the Qianlong mark. The base of the current vase has been ground down and it is well possible that it originally had a Qianlong mark.
This red and underglaze blue phoenix, lotus and peonies decoration can also be seen on square baluster vases from the Qianlong period, also bearing the Emperor's mark ; two examples are illustrated in Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, pl. LXXXVI

A VERY RARE UNDERGLAZE BLUE AND IRON RED 'PHOENIX' MOON FLASK
CHINA, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT payable at 19.6% (5.5% for books) will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis