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Shallow round censer with inwardly curving sides on three short feet. The base glazed blue, except for a white centre with the commendation mark yu tang jia qi (Precious vessel for the Jade Hall). The interior glazed white. On the exterior, in white slip on a blue glaze, two opposing phoenixes with trailing tails and carved details, gazing at a ball of flames with the character for sun in it, their tails separated by a rock rising from crested waves.
The phoenix, a mythological creature, symbolizes the sun and summer warmth and consequently a good harvest. It is also an emblem of the empress. This rather crudely executed piece with the decoration applied in thick slip that shows bubbles and burnt areas is probably a product from the kilns in the South.
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