A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'PHOENIX AND PEONY' JAR, GUAN YUAN DYNASTY, 14TH CENTURY

of baluster form, superbly potted with wide swelling shoulders gently tapering to a slightly flared foot, surmounted by a short upright neck with rolled lip encircled by a raised band, deftly painted around the shoulder with three phoenix with outstretched wings and curled tails amid lotus scrolls, between a border of blackberry-lily collaring the neck and a broad scroll of four large peony blooms covering the lower body, each differently rendered with a luxuriant array of petals, and borne on the same undulating scroll with attendant buds and foliage, all above a band of petal lappets enclosing pendent cloud-like trefoils and rings surrounding the foot, the different registers separated by narrow 'classic' scrolls and rendered with painterly brush strokes of deep cobalt blue accentuated by characteristic 'heaping and piling', the jar covered overall with a transparent glaze slightly tinged to blue, applied unevenly on the interior leaving free small patches of biscuit burnt orange, the broad foot ring and recessed base unglazed

Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London, 1994-2010, vol. 2, no. 642.

The neck has been broken and restored with old yellowing re spray covering approximately two third of the circumference of the mouth rim. A circular section of the lower part of the body has also been broken and restored (extending across the middle of the base and up to approx 10 cm. on the body).
"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."

Yuan jars of this form are rarely found with this decoration of phoenix and peonies, which is well known, however, from taller jars with handles, see for example, another jar in the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Krahl, op. cit., no. 640. A counterpart to this jar with dragons replacing the phoenix and the 'classic' scroll border appearing above the dragon band, is in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red, vol I, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 4; another similar dragon design was sold in our London rooms, 15th April 1980, lot 233.

This Jingdezhen pattern was copied by contemporary kilns in Yunnan province, but in a much coarser ware; compare a piece sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 654.