A blue and white dish, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period

A blue and white dish, Jiajing six-character mark and of the period

With shallow rounded sides, supported on a short tapering foot ring, the interior painted with a phoenix flanked by two birds in flight beside rockwork and lingzhi fungus sprays, the cavetto painted with five cranes alternating with cloud scrolls, the undersides with hare medallions above the foot with a lappet band, box. 29.7cm (11¾in) diam. (2). Estimate: £7,000 - 9,000 - Unsold.

Provenance: a Greek private collection, circa 1990s
A Canadian private collection, Toronto
J. Abraham Cohen Collection, New York

Note: The present lot is painted, amidst other motifs, with five cranes, symbolising longevity due to the bird's long life and high rank, as the first rank of the civil officials was that of a crane. Flying cranes represent the wish: May you rise high and become an official of the first rank. For related Jiajing mark and period blue and white dishes painted with cranes, see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, Hong Kong, 2000, Catalogue nos.121, 122, 124 and 131. The phoenix represents wishes for peace and prosperity as according to Chinese mythology it appears only during such times. It also symbolises benevolence, for it does not injure insects, as painted on the present lot. The hare, illustrated on the underside of the dish is an important Daoist symbol associated with immortality and longevity, as according to legend the hare prepares the elixir of immortality.

Bonhams. Fine Chinese Art, 14 May 2009. New Bond Street www.bonhams.com