A rare and finely painted late Ming blue and white 'dragon and phoenix' garlic-headed vase, suantouping. Wanli
A rare and finely painted late Ming blue and white 'dragon and phoenix' garlic-headed vase, suantouping. Wanli six-character mark and of the period (1573-1619). Photo: Christie's Images Ltd. 2011
The globular body painted in inky-blue tones on each side with a sinuous five-clawed horned ascending dragon flanked by a pair of descending phoenix in flight, confronting a 'flaming pearl' reserved on a ground of loose composite floral meander, above a border of prunus flowerheads on a wave ground, and keyfret around the foot, the tall neck with lotus flowers each supporting one of the eight Buddhist emblems bajixiang borne on scrolling vine below stylised lappet bands around the bulbous mouth, and a band of scrolls encircling the straight rim either side of the reign mark written in a line; 21 3/4 in. (55.2 cm.) high. Estimate HK$7,000,000 - HK$9,000,000 ($904,002 - $1,162,289). Price Realized HK$11,972,000 ($1,546,110)
Provenance: Mayuyama and Co., Ltd., Tokyo
B.S.N. Niigata Hoso Museum, Japan
Property of the Broadcasting System of Niigata
Exhibited: Mayuyama, Seventy Years, vol.I, Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, Tokyo, 1976, fig. 956
A number of blue and white vases of the same form with two pairs of dragons contesting 'flaming pearls' rather than pairs of dragons and phoenix are also published including an example illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Japan, 1989, no. 745. Another was sold at Christie's London, 28 March 1996, lot 343.