Lot 39
39
A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL
A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL
A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL
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A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL
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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE ENGLISH COLLECTIONChristie’s is delighted to present this rare ‘pheasant’ bowl that has been passed down through five generations of the Cox family. The bowl was originally acquired by Edward Cox (1850-1915) of Cardean, Meigle, Scotland, who graduated from Edinburgh University and acted as President of the Dundee Chamber of Commerce and a Governor of Dundee College between 1890 and 1891. He became a Chairman of Camperdown Jute Works following its conversion into a Limited Liability Company in 1893, and also became a Director of the Scottish American Trust Companies and the Northern American Trust Co. Ltd, becoming Chairman in 1895. Apart from his business pursuits, he built up an art collection in Cardean and was known for his fine taste and scholarly interest in the subject. As administrator of the will of his uncle Thomas Cox, he not only formed a bequest to set up a free public library and baths in Lochee, but also purchased the AC Lamb Collection of old Dundee literature and pictures, presenting it to the Free Library in 1900. He was a Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of the City of Dundee and a Justice of the Peace for Dundee.
A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL

KANGXI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN DOUBLE CIRCLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1662-1722)

Details
A RARE DOUCAI 'PHEASANT' BOWL
KANGXI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN DOUBLE CIRCLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1662-1722)
The sturdily potted bowl is elaborately decorated on one side of the exterior with two pheasants perched on rocks, surrounded by branches of peony and magnolia. Two smaller birds in flight are depicted to the other side.
6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm) diam.
Provenance
Collection of Edward Cox (1850-1915) of Cardean, Meigle, Scotland, thence by descent within the family.

Brought to you by

Kate Hunt
Kate Hunt Director, Head of Department
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Lot Essay

The combination of magnolia and peony represents the auspicious saying 'yu tang fu gui', meaning 'may you have wealth, honour and prosperity'. A similar Kangxi mark and period example with the same design but additionally decorated with iron-red as well as copper-red is in the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated by Geng Baochang in Gugong Bowuyuan cang Qingdai yuyao ciqi, Beijing, 2005, vol. I part I, pl. 29. A later pair of Yongzheng mark and period bowls were sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27 October 1972, lot 128.

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