A PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE 'PHOENIX HEAD' EWERS QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD |

each of the faceted bodies following a lozenge-form outline, rising from a barbed foot to a ridged neck and an inverted galleried mouth, the tapering serpentine spout joined to the neck by phoenix heads in profile, painted in bright shades of cobalt blue with flowers and foliage (2)

Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.

One ewer has an approx. 1.2 cm crack to the rim, and one corner of the foot has been restored. There is also a potting flaw to the inner foot rim. The other ewer with restored cracks and chips to the prunus panel, and a shallow flake chip to the beak of the phoenix.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Ewers of this form were originally inspired by Middle Eastern metal wares and were made for the export market. They were meant to exist in pairs and were also created in the famille-verte palette. Compare a closely related ewer from the Avery Brundage collection now at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, acc. no. B60P249. A pair from the Grandidier collection, now at the Louvre museum, was paired with three blue and white bottle vases to form an ad hoc garniture set and is illustrated in La Ceramique Chinoise: De l’epoque de K’ang-Hi a nos jours, Paris, 1922, pl. 244.