Blue and White Bottle Vase with Phoenix Roundels, Yuan Dynasty

PP-0145

Description

A blue and white bottle vase with a rounded body, a tall neck and a swelling mouth below a lipped rim. The body is painted with large roundels, each with a pair of phoenixes circling one another among clouds, their long feathered tails sweeping round the edge, in the manner of yin and yang. Dark cloud forms fill the spaces between the roundels. A band of panels with pearl-like dots circles the shoulder and is repeated above the foot. The neck carries a band of scrolling leaves below tall plantain leaves, with a collar of lappets and a band of scrolls at the mouth. The blue is deep and strong under a white glaze with an overall crackle.

The slightly flared foot and the base are unglazed, the base showing throwing rings and a buff, iron-stained biscuit. A fine hairline runs from the neck to the shoulder and is visible in the photographs. We attribute the vase to the Yuan dynasty.