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Lot Essay
Very few vases of this exceptionally large size have survived in collections. Another very similar vase, also in the Pierpont Morgan Collection, is illustrated in the Catalogue of Chinese Porcelain of J. Pierpont Morgan, vol. II, col. pl. CL, and was sold at Sotheby's 13 March 1975, lot 352.
The particularly large size and auspicious imagery on the present vase would strongly suggest that this vase was a special commission and possibly a wedding gift. The pair of phoenix in flight, fenghuang yufei, is symbolic of a harmonious marriage and progeny of 'distinguished sons'. Finally the two magpies, xique, symbolise another wedding motif, shuangxi, 'double-happiness', with the character of the word for magpie, xi, being the same as the character for happiness.
The particularly large size and auspicious imagery on the present vase would strongly suggest that this vase was a special commission and possibly a wedding gift. The pair of phoenix in flight, fenghuang yufei, is symbolic of a harmonious marriage and progeny of 'distinguished sons'. Finally the two magpies, xique, symbolise another wedding motif, shuangxi, 'double-happiness', with the character of the word for magpie, xi, being the same as the character for happiness.