Adam's FINE ASIAN ART Part 1 June 29th 2021

16 2 A RARE PALE CELADON AND RUSSET JADE ‘PHOENIX’ WINE POT AND COVER China, Qing Dynasty, 18th or 19th century Carved in a desirable stone. Shaped as a phoenix standing on its feet, the spout carved as the head, the neck with a loose ring, the handle carved as the tail whose feathers described a circle and continue between the feet up to the front part, the sides carved with the wings, the lid topped by a finial shaped as a phoenix, the inner part masterfully hollowed. Sweet and delicate polish. H: 18 cm - L: 17 cm - w: 4,5 cm Weight: 1050 grams Provenance: > Private collection > Carlos Alfredo Tornquist Altgelt (1885-1953), O. Ramos Oromi y Cia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 27th, 28th and 29th 1936, lot 284; > Joseph Vallot (1854-1925), Drouot, Paris, Messrs Lair-Dubreuil and Portier, November 16th, 17th, 18th 1925. € 6,000 - 8,000 NOTES: 1 . The use of birds’ heads to provide the shape of the spout on pouring vessels has a long history in China. Not only do they appear on bronze vessels, they can also be seen among ceramic wares. Chickens’ heads, for example, provide the spout form on a number of Jin dynasty (AD 265-420) ewers with both celadon and black glazes (see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Mu- seum 31 Porcelain of the Jin and Tang Dynasties, Commercial Press, Hong Kong, 1996, p. 42, no. 37 and p. 52, no. 47, respectively). The theme of the phoenix to provide inspiration for shape and decoration can be seen in various media in succeeding dynasties, but interestingly the current jade teapot is especially close in concept to the famous Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) blue and white porcelain ewer excavated from the Yuan capital Dadu in 1970. A jade teapot or wine pot with phoenix-head spout, now in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was loaned by the Chinese Government to the 1935-6 International Exhibition of Chinese Art at the Royal Academy, London (see International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935, p. 255, no. 2828) 2 . Compare with an imperial phoenix white jade and cover wine pot offered at Christie’s London, 2008/11/04, lot 9. 珍稀玉“凤凰”酒壶及盖 中国，清朝，18或19世纪