Pair of “shangping” vases, with bulbous bodies and flared necks, made of pink family porcelain. They are decorated with a phoenix in flight chasing the sun and a five-clawed dragon chasing a flaming pearl, both moving among flames and lingzhi-shaped clouds. The shoulder is decorated with a frieze of geometric patterns and flowers. The neck is decorated with stiff leaves, bats, and lingzhi-shaped clouds.
The base bears a six-character mark from the Guangxu period.

The dragon and phoenix motif is full of auspicious connotations. Vessels/objects decorated with two of the most important mythical animals in Chinese tradition were usually made as wedding gifts. The dragon is the symbol of the emperor and represents fertility, while the phoenix embodies the warmth of the sun and helps to produce male offspring. The dragon, along with the phoenix, which is also the leader of all winged creatures, symbolizes the emperor and empress, while representing marital happiness. When the two animals face each other, they convey the message of a happy and auspicious union.