Blue and white jar with phoenix

[bluebird26]

Hello, I would like to have you advice on this jar,
it look genuinly old with a shiny glaze, could it be some varnish over a old pottery or you find it obviously fake?
The drawing is beautiful.

Thank you.
Fred

[bluebird26]

The bottom, the jar is in broken condition

[peterp]

Depends on how you define "old". Vintage ceramics can also be in this condition. Whether there is lacquer applied can easily be detected. Use a needle and pry or scratch the surface. A vitreous glaze will not be scratched easily. If it is the original glaze that is shiny, pulling the needle over the crackles you should  be able to feel whether they come through to the surface or not. If not, it is indeed possible that something was applied, but I would think it is unlikely.
To be sure, the bird or phoenix or what this is not painted in a traditional manner. You will also see that the feathers of the wings  and elsewhere all have some blue residue outside the actual blue edges. That could point to either printing or spraying. Either of these would most likely be second half of 20th century.

[bluebird26]

Hi, thank you very much for the replie, it is very instructive.