An imperial Chinese green and yellow enamelled 'dragon and phoenix' bowl, Kangxi mark and of the period Dia.: 14,8 cm - H.: 6,5 cm Yellow-glazed wares with green dragons are mentioned in Palace regulations as having been reserved for the imperial consorts or the highest-ranking concubines. The present variation of 'phoenix and dragon' bowls may have been produced for a special occasion, such as a birthday, as suggested by the auspicious 'longevity' (shou) character depicted on the interior. Ref.:- An identical bowl in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Good Fortune, Long Life, Health, and Peace: A Special Exhibition of Porcelains with Auspicious Designs, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1995, pl.19. - A second example, formerly in the Tsui Museum of Art, is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics IV. Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, pl.111. - A third example is illustrated by S.Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1951, pl. LXIX, no. 2. - Christie's, Hong Kong, June 1, 2011, lot 3510, for a fourth example. (Sold HKD 1.340.000)