An underglaze red 'dragon and phoenix' vase, meiping Qing Dynasty, 18th century

robustly potted with high rounded shoulders set with a short neck with a rolled lip and tapering sharply toward the foot, finely painted in bright copper-red with a large sinuous dragon on one side and a phoenix on the other, the eyes picked-out in underglaze blue, all against a dense peony scroll and set between a ruyi head and foliate scroll collar around the shoulders and a lappet petal band skirting the foot 

The base has been drilled to fit a lamp, but the hole has now been restored. The vase appears to be in otherwise very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present vase belongs to a small group of wares primarily decorated in copper-red with the only exception of the eyes painted in underglaze-blue to create a piercing effect. Vessels painted predominantly in copper-red were done in a very small number only during the Qing period and this vase is especially rare for the deep tone of the red that has a dramatic effect on the design. No other similar example appears to be recorded, although the dragon-and-phonix design can be found on doucai meiping painted in a closely related style with the scaly dragon and soaring phoenix similarly depicted amidst the dense peony scroll. For example, see a meiping from the Hirots Collection included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum, Vol. II, Tokyo, 1990, cat.no. 638; and another sold in our London rooms, 12^th June 1990, lot 341.

The present vase also echoes the influence of blue-and-white meiping decorated with dragons in copper-red; see a vase from the collections of Alfred E. Hippisley and H.M. Knight, sold in these rooms, 16^th November 1988, lot 363; and a 'nine-dragon' meiping, from the collection of Mrs. J.F. Pye, sold in our London rooms, 27^th November 1973, lot 275, and again in these rooms, 22^nd May 1979, lot 197, again, 7^th May 2000, lot 579, and again, 10^th April 2006, lot 1536.

Compare also a meiping decorated with an overall design of scrolling lotus in a bright tone of underglaze-red illustrated in Porcelain from the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 168; and another similar example sold in these rooms, 30^th April 1996, lot 456.