Rare bottle-shaped porcelain vase decorated - Lot 302

Rare bottle-shaped porcelain vase decorated copper-red underglaze decoration of three Pixiu ?? (the ninth son of the celestial dragon), with blue underglaze eyes. The body is globular, the long, straight neck encircled at the top by a copper-alloy frame. The vase rests on a short heel, the base unglazed. China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), 18th century. Height: 33.5 cm. Diameter at base: 11.3 cm. (Cracks and crazing, slight firing defect on the shoulder, trimmed neck with copper alloy mounting). Born in the Kangxi reign, this type of three-Pixiu decoration, sometimes incorporating a Bixie or a Buddhist lion, is relatively rare. The motif is doubly auspicious: the Pixiu was a beneficial mythological creature in ancient China. Punished by the Jade Emperor for violating a celestial law, it was condemned to feed only on gold, silver and precious stones. As a result, this creature became a symbol of prosperity, bringing fortune and luck to its owner. Its triple representation on the vase's belly is no coincidence. Three is an auspicious and sacred number in Taoism, reputed to generate "the ten thousand beings" according to Lao Tzu. Also referring to the "Great Triad", it embodies stability, while its pronunciation echoes expansion and prosperity. Bibliography For a similar piece, see the copy in the British Museum under inventory number Franks.289 (former collection of Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks). A similar pair of vases is also reproduced in David S. Howard and John Ayers, China for the West, Chinese Porcelain & other Decorative Arts for Export from the Mottahedeh Collection', Sotheby's, 1978, p. 86, pl. 43. Another similar example of comparable dimensions (untrimmed neck) is lot 89 in the Daguerre sale of 12/06/2019.