A RARE BLUE AND WHITE 'PHOENIX' BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI

of circular form with straight sides, the slightly domed top of the cover freely painted in varying shades of cobalt-blue with two confronting phoenix with outstretched wings on opposite sides of a blooming peony against a dense background of leafy flower scrolls, the sides of the box and cover similarly decorated with a continuous frieze of four phoenix flying to the left amidst floral scrolls, the flat base left unglazed save for a central countersunk roundel enclosing an underglaze blue six-character mark within a frame of ruyi motifs

Hirano Kotoken, 1978.

The interior cover has a long hairline crack, an approx. 13.5 cm of which has passed through to the exterior. The box and cover has some flakes, especially to the rims, including one of approx. 3.5 cm to the inner rim of the box. There are also some typical original firing flaws, including frittings, firing lines, stained burst bubbles and kiln grits. The surface has some surface wear and scratches.
"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."

Wanli mark and period boxes of this form and design are rare and are more commonly known painted with dragons, as seen on a box in the Umezawa Kinenkan Museum, Tokyo, illustrated in Mayuyama, Seventy Years, Tokyo, 1976, vol. 1, pl. 961; and another, painted with a dragon and lingzhi design, offered in this sale, lot 3657. See also two boxes of this form painted with a dragon and phoenix in polychrome enamels; the first also in the Umezawa Kinenkan Museum, included in the exhibition Imperial Overglaze-Enamelled Wares in the Late Ming Dynasty, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 1995, cat. no. 32; and the second from the collections of Hon. F. Ross de Moleyns and J.C. Gilmore, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th April 2002, lot 561.