A WUCAI 'DRAGON AND PHOENIX' BOWL, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIOD China, 1736-1795. With deep rounded sides rising to an everted rim, the exterior is painted with two phoenixes descending between green and iron-red dragons pursuing 'flaming pearls' amidst flower sprigs, below a band of the Eight Buddhist Emblems alternating with ruyi heads joined by a blue line. The interior with a medallion enclosing five iron-red bats (rare) as well as a double line border below the rim. The recessed base with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Wou Kiuan. Wou Lien-Pai Museum, coll. no. Q.C.186. Dr. Wou Kiuan (1910-1997) was a Chinese diplomat and noted scholar of Chinese art. His father, Wou Lien-Pai (1873-1944), was one the leading political figures of early 20th century China, remembered for his role as speaker and leader of parliament during the turbulent years of the Republican era. Dr. Wou himself embarked on an illustrious career in diplomacy until his retirement in 1952, when he settled in London and devoted the rest of his life to the study of Chinese art. It was no doubt fortuitous that Dr. Wou's years of collecting coincided with an abundant availability of exceptional Chinese art on the London market. From the mid-1950s to the late 1960s he was able to form a collection of well over 1,000 works that together represented virtually every category of Chinese art. At the heart of Dr. Wou's drive to collect was a burning desire to preserve the relics of China's rich historical past scattered across Europe, and to promote Chinese art and culture. It is unclear when Dr. Wou conceived of the idea to create a place to house his collection, but in 1968 he opened the doors to the Wou Lien-Pai Museum, named in honor of his father. Over the years the Museum became a 'must see' destination for collectors, academics, and visiting dignitaries, and Dr. Wou would delight in leading his visitors through the galleries, recounting stories of China's glorious history.
Condition: Good condition with only minor wear and minimal firing irregularities. The rim with a minuscule filled chip and associated hairline.

Weight: 270.0 g
Dimensions: Diameter 15.4 cm

Literature comparison:
The decorative format of the present bowl is inspired by Kangxi prototypes. Compare two Kangxi-marked examples of different sizes illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colors, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, nos. 135-136. A Qianlong-marked example of similar size to the present example is also illustrated, ibidem, no. 158. Another Qianlong example is in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, page 282.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 1923
Price: HKD 870,000 or approx. EUR 133,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period
Expert remark: Note the similar size (15 cm) and the dragon motif inside the bowl, compared to the five iron-red bats design of the present bowl.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 11 September 2019, lot 928
Price: USD 68,750 or approx. EUR 74,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A wucai 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Qianlong seal mark and period
Expert remark: Note the smaller size (13 cm) and the interior centering a roundel with an iron-red dragon, compared to the five iron-red bats design of the present bowl.


乾隆款及年代五彩龍鳳呈祥碗
中國，1736-1795年。敞口，弧壁，圈足，碗形周正。如意雲頭紋與佛教八寶紋作邊飾。腹部繪龍鳳穿花紋兩組，龍一紅一綠，其旁襯以菊花、芙蓉花。碗心青花雙圈内繪製五隻紅色蝙蝠。底書“大清乾隆年製”三行六字篆書款，展示 “龍鳳呈祥”之意。

來源：吳權博士收藏；吳蓮伯美術館，館藏編號 Q.C.186。吳權(1910-1997)博士 曾是一位中國外交家以及知名中國藝術收藏家。他的父親吳蓮伯 (1873-1944)先生曾是二十世紀初中國重要政治人物，因在民國動蕩歲月中擔任國會議員及議長而聞名。1952 年，吳博士在外交領域走上了輝煌之路，直到他退休後定居倫敦，並將餘生奉獻給了對中國藝術的研究。毫無疑問，吳權博士多年的收藏，與大量中國藝術珍品現身倫敦藝術市場上時間點相呼應，這無疑是幸運的。從 1950 年代中期到 1960 年代後期，他收集了 1,000 多件藏品，涵蓋了中國藝術的每一個門類。吳博士之所以收藏，其原因主要是爲保護散落歐洲各地的中國文物與推廣中國藝術與文化。尚不清楚吳博士何時想到創建一個美術館來歸置他的收藏的，但在 1968 年，他打開了以他父親的名字命名的 吳蓮伯美術館的大門。多年來，美術館已成為收藏家、學者和來訪政要的必經之地，而吳博士總是很樂意給參觀者介紹美術館，講述中國光輝歷史的故事。 品相：狀況良好，只有輕微磨損和輕微燒製瑕疵，碗沿有微小的磕損修飾和相關冲線。

重量：270.0 克
尺寸：直徑 15.4 厘米

文獻比較：
本碗的裝飾形式是受康熙原型的啟發。比較兩件不同尺寸的康熙款彩碗，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧五彩‧鬥彩》中，香港，1999年，編號135-136。一件與乾隆款相似尺寸的彩碗，見同上書，編號158。另一件乾隆款彩碗，見南京博物館編，《宮廷珍藏：中國清代官窯瓷器》，上海，2003年，頁282。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2013年5月29日，lot 1923
價格：HKD 870,000（相當於今日EUR 133,000）
描述：乾隆款及年代五彩龍鳳呈祥碗
專家評論：請注意相似的尺寸(15 厘米)。比較本碗碗內的龍形圖案和現拍品的五隻紅色蝙蝠。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2019年9月11日，lot 928
價格：USD 68,750（相當於今日EUR 74,500）
描述：乾隆款及年代五彩龍鳳呈祥碗
專家評論：請注意本碗尺寸（13厘米）較小，碗底中心以鐵紅龍紋為飾，比較現拍品的五隻鐵紅蝙蝠設計。