Page 110 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION
3027

A MASSIVE AND SUPERBLY DECORATED ᪺༒ᶑ ̪ྑ㐗㶐˯ۉॲ૰ᚯ᝹⁅
FAMILLE VERTE ‘ROMANCE OF THREE
ϝᬝ
KINGDOMS’ ROULEAU VASE
ٳᘹ⼖༛ᬘ卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚ卿ᐽ৅ ⽚
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722) ٳᘹ⼖༛ᬘ卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚ卿ᐽ৅ ⽚
The cylindrical body is exquisitely decorated in the famille verte 㞒㇝☆՞Ⅷ⻦
palette with a scene from chapter 20 in the novel ‘Romance of the
ទ≡┣ഌ႙ᙃ卿⊺႙⡿⮏۔▵卿ᦔஎ⋓កᝳᄑ卿⊇ⰰ㎒༛㸓ᚺ卿ӻ৅⏟
Three Kingdoms’ in which the Emperor Xianzong leads a hunting
Ⱞൃ卿⊂࡚஠ᓼ⥾ԻǶӲஇᶨ⨒Ƿԋ✄Հࢦ୪ᝨᗁ㉓⊏Ꮲஉ卿पᙹ՞㲬
expedition with the heroes Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in
⟏㋳㘳㾬ԋࣥ⎏ౚᜀ卿ἃ㫙⬒ज㇦⎏ᄮᾭՆᆭ⠢৅ǯ
the entourage, and Cao Cao successfully shoots a deer after the
Emperor’s multiple failed attempts, implying his ambition for ᚺថ᳖ߝ卿⎑།ᇙ଍ᅐ㙛הӬᄟㄴᏢᙷ卿ᜀᇪ㤯⚨ౚ㖿श㘃भᙔ՞৅ঀ卿
the throne. The slanted shoulder is decorated with medallions ߅→ഌ㞔⥾⊺⛌୪ཎ㊯❩⛌Ꮅ᫓टल՞ᘢԿஎ⎏≢଍卿㯪ឬᝤἃ᰻ᷘ⊂
containing precious objects against a diaper ground below the neck ࡚ǯᄮᾭӬង卿Նᆭ㜩ᙹᇑսᘛⰮ卿㞏ᆭᝤἃ㘲ՙǮݰྉ᪖卿㜩भⰰḞ
decorated with Shoulao, the Star God of Longevity, presenting a
᠏ক⎏█⡚ᆭ卿ཝἃ㝢⏖ǯֿཨ༿㙓 ݩߎ⎏׾ຽ࣐Ӷἃഅ㇦卿⯝ݯ
peach to a child held by the Star God of Blessings, accompanied
῟ㅳ㫙ᄟ㵶ቱቱ⏟㨸ǯݯԋӬ׾⥾ག▵ᥫᘢԿஎ卿㵶 ݩߎ卿ݎᙻ
by the Star God of Prosperity. The galleried rim is encircled by an
⡥⡙צ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚ卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卿ᇌݣᷛ⹴లⅧ⻦卿
iron-red band of formal scrolls. ჺ ᝲ ᚚᙻ⡥⡙⼖༛ᬘᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卿ս⧻㞖
30 in. (76 cm.) high
ᎰՒǯ
HK$2,400,000-2,800,000 US$310,000-360,000 औजᬘ㖅ᙇ։ཨ༿⏟ⲋ⎏ᄮᾭՆᆭᣋᦕ≡卿ݦ։ἃ⡥⡙ഌ㛢ᝯࢷ⁒㱦
⯠⻦卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚᙻ⡥⡙צ೥ᇑᐽ㐈卿ᐽ৅ ࣿ ⽚ǯӬ
PROVENANCE
Sold at Sotheby’s London, 27 February 1973, lot 80 ։ⶬ㢙ᙻ 3 - E "SHFODé卿Ƕ$IJOFTF $FSBNJDT JO UIF "WFSZ #SVOEBHF
Sold at Sotheby’s London, 7 November 2007, lot 329 $PMMFDUJPOǷ卿⯠㞖ྒྷ卿 ჺ卿எ ⽚厎Ӭ։ἃ + (PMETDINJEU Ⅷ⻦卿
ⶬ㢙ᙻǶ"VTTUFMMVOH $IJOFTJTDIFS ,VOTUǷ卿᠊៣卿 ჺ卿எ ⽚厎
The current vase is most impressive for its imposing size,
extraordinarily animated painting, and its very fine condition. Porcelain Ӭ։ⶬ㢙ᙻ 3 - )PCTPO卿Ƕ5IF -FPOBSE (PX $PMMFDUJPO PG $IJOFTF
celebrating famous episodes from the lives of famous scholars and 1PSDFMBJOǷ卿ٳᘹ卿 ჺ卿எ‸ 997 ࣿ 9-7***Bǯ
heroes from China’s historical past, or from popular novels, became
particularly prevalent during the mid-seventeenth century, when the
collapse of the Ming dynasty freed the potters of Jingdezhen from
imperial influence, and production shifted to appeal to the literati class.
The success of this innovative style is clear from its continuation into
the Kangxi period, when originality of design was complemented by
impeccable technique. This combination of innovation and technique
is particularly apparent on the present vase, which is notable for its
extensive use of iron-red enamel, which adds a freshness and vivacity
to the famille verte palette.
Few rouleau vases of such magnificent size from the Kangxi period
survive. One such example is a slightly smaller vase (74.2 cm.)
decorated with the scene from the novel Investiture of the Gods, from
the Jie Rui Tang Collection, which was sold at Christie’s New York,
30 March 2005, lot 396, and subsequently at Sotheby’s New York, 20
March 2018, lot 322.
Other comparable large vases include two from the Metropolitan
Museum of Art Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 15 September
2016, lot 870 and 871; one illustrated by R. L. d'Argencé Chinese
Ceramics in the Avery Brundage Collection, San Francisco, 1967, p.
146, pl. 68; one from the collection of J. Goldschmidt, illustrated in
Ausstellung Chinesischer Kunst, Berlin, 1929, p. 330, no. 892; one
illustrated in Walter Bondy, K'ang-hsi, Munchen, 1923, pp. 136 and
140; and one in R. L. Hobson, The Leonard Gow Collection of Chinese
Porcelain, London, 1931, pls. XXV and XLVIIIa.

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