A Chinese iron red 'dragon' spittoon or zhadou, Tongzhi

H.: 9 cm

Condition: (UV-checked)
- In excellent condition.
- The base shows signs of polishing where a mark would have been present.

Provenance:
- A Dutch private collection
- Acquired in Amsterdam in 1994 by the current owner.

The base of this zhadou was most probably once inscribed with an imperial reign mark, which is suggested by the polished and scratched area to the center of the base.

Ref.:
- Sotheby’s, New York, 31 May 1989, lot 189, for a similar example.
- The wonders of the potter's palette : Qing ceramics from the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1984, catalogue no. 115, for a zhadou in the Hong Kong Museum of Art of the same size and pattern and with a four-character Tongzhi reign mark.