A similar pair of phoenix-head ewers but in famille verte from the Salting Bequest can be found in the collection of the V&A (C.1135&A-1910), and a similar pair is also illustrated in Jorg, Christiaan J.A. (2011) Famille Verte: Chinese Porcelains in Green Enamels, Groninger Museum, p.41, plate 30.
The earliest known Chinese phoenix-head ewers are from the Tang period in either sancai glazed stoneware (see an example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1975.1.1648) or white stoneware (Tokyo National Museum TG645), and in most cases seem to have been produced specifically for burial as part of funeral rites. It is believed that these early examples were based on metal ewers from Sasanian Persia (224–651 C.E.), and are testament to both the expansive trade network of the time and the exotic tastes of wealthy Chinese elites. Though originally it was the teardrop-shaped rim of the vessel which formed the phoenix-head element, over time the style developed so that the phoenix-head spout also included a long neck and was separated from the main body. The phoenix, or fenghuang, holds particular significance within Chinese mythology and was believed to be sacred king of all birds and a symbol of good fortune, fertility and longevity. Often depicted with the head of a pheasant, a long neck and the tail of a peacock, it is particularly fitting that in this instance, on vessels whose form for Kangxi consumers would have referenced the wares of a much older time, it is a pair of phoenix depicted rather than a single bird. In ancient China, the fenghuang had consisted of two separate entities to represent yin and yang; the male bird (鳳, feng) and female (凰 huang), but during the Ming the two gradually merged to become the symbol of female royalty, while the dragon was associated with the Emperor. The motif of the flowers of the four seasons, comprising chrysanthemum (autumn), prunus (winter), peony (spring) and lotus/iris (summer), is also an ancient one which was transmitted via trade across Asia and thus features in the art of many cultures to represent the passing of time.
中國青花“鳳頭”壺蓋一對，康熙（1662-1722 年），八角形 ogee 形截面，帶棱紋頸部，喇叭形邊緣和華麗的鳳凰形壺嘴； 球莖狀的身體分為四個面板，包含四個季節的花朵：蓮花、菊花、牡丹和李子，從上面有飛蟲的岩石中伸出，在蓮花瓣帶到腳和 ogee 形帶滾動蓮花到肩膀之間 ，收腰的脖子分成兩部分； 下部有四塊盛開的牡丹，上部有鳥類和昆蟲在花瓣中飛翔，喇叭狀的球形邊緣有更多的花卉鑲板，上面是模製的牡丹形蓋子，柔和彎曲的噴口帶有葉狀噴霧和滾動的葉子 , 終止於大的鳳凰頭開口
在 V&A (C.1135&A-1910) 的藏品中可以找到一對類似的鳳頭水瓶，但來自 Salting Bequest 的粉彩，而類似的一對也出現在 Jorg, Christiaan J.A. (2011) Famille Verte: Chinese Porcelains in Green Enamels, Groninger Museum, p.41, plate 30