Page 16 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

fig. 1 Collection of the Shanghai Museum
எӬ ӳᱡࢷ⁒㱦⻦৅

3004 Continued

Also known as jingping, meiping vessels were originally used as a wine ᢐ≡卿ࣥἃऒᛞ⏇㜮⊇଍卿᱁リᙻ໬ջ卿Ք♑Ǹ⣌≡ǹǯݯᇌ卿୬≡Ǹऑ
container, and first became popular in the Song dynasty. The meiping, ᇎԠཎۣսᢐԠ⍈㵓⏟♑ǹ卻ࣻ㇦ᭆஇ㉓ԠヹⶬǶ㱀᱁䁗㊯≢Ƿ卼卿⩧
or ‘prunus vase’, was thought to be ideal vessel for displaying a single ᇑलᢐ≡ǯ݉ջᢐ≡卿㙁௛Ӭᘛ໬ջـ㧩★⧻Ԡᆨ卿Ῡ㙁߅᳾஋㎒࣡㰍
prunus branch, for the narrow mouth of the vase provided a perfect
complement to the slender stem of the branch, see the discussion by ᡟ卿ᅠ۔⯍ᚺߝ卿㙊⩧ഭ໸Ի᳖Ӳջ໶⚨ᢐ≡ᆨ߰Ԡఫ╲卿ᆴ㮮᳅㙭ǯ
Xu Zhiheng, Yinliuzhai shuoci [Remarks on Porcelain from the Studio of ଍௛㱇ᶕ㎒ᷪ卿৶ऑം׻卿⡿⒜㯝卿㎒⫒஋ᷪ卿᳍஄㑷卿⒬ᄓᇤᯬỉ⒢
a Wine Lover]. The form of the Yuan meiping deviates from the slender
and elongated shape of that from the Song dynasty, developing into the ⡚ⰰǯ଍ംᶕᙼՙ㬪㞏卿㞏ⰰ⫐࣡卿ᵐᷪൈℱ卿㞏᭮⪝㫀⽔卿㬪ՙַ᭢ǯ
rounded and voluminous style. This style continued into the early Ming, ݥ଍⡠㱈ׁ཭ӳ⋓Ӵ༗卿ᆨᎰӲ⢑ㅛ㱈჌厍⫒㛑ս㫐ᆃ⡠㧿࣍Ⳟ⡠ӳӴ
and provided the prototype for the meiping form during the high Qing. ঈ፽卿ԋ㧿⥾ເ㪺⁍ԕஎ卿㫆㪾ݦ㯔ເ㪺ཌ㺩⩧⯯厎⭬㛑୨ភ⁍ԕ⏇㧷卿
The present vase is sturdily potted with the painting executed skilfully ៨⶟⏟⦞卿㙄⣱Ӷ⢞厎Ӵ㛑㢶⡠ࣿ⸥≓⡠ἃ㱈卿⸥≓ݤភⱤӴௗ卿ᶊⅸ
and fluidly, and it has been unusually well preserved. The classic scrolls ݦ㿽卿⥾⊺᱁ᜩ卿㬪Ɽ⎉ⰰݱ㪿卿ӻظໄ໭ൃ卿㖅ἃཐ㇦ǯ
on the shoulders and upper body, as well as the upright petals around
the base, are very similar to those found on a meiping in the Shanghai ݉㬪Ɽᢐ≡卿㙁௛Ǯ⫒⯝⭬㛑ԠӬॶ࣍Ⳟ⡠ㅛ㱈ࣿӴ㛑⸥≓⡠卿⯝ӳ
Museum, illustrated in Art of Yuan Blue-and white Porcelain, Shanghai, ᱡࢷ⁒㱦⻦৅⎐ᥑἃ⏟ַ卻ࣻ㇦Ƕᄂ⻤▵㞎Ƿ卿ӳᱡ卿 ჺ卿㮰
2012, pp. 84-85, no. 13. (fig .1) 卿எ 卼卻ॲː卼ǯᐽ৅⫒㛑Ꮢ⥾ເ㪺⁍ԕஎ卿⯝֗កஇ།ࢷ⁒
The ‘peacocks and peonies’ design is a classic repertoire of Chinese 㱦⻦㩛ᇪᬘ‰᳖⏻ཀ卻"SEFCJM 4ISJOF ݉ջ㬪Ɽເ㪺⡠⧉எᡪ⏟ַ卻ࣻ
porcelain design. Peacocks symbolise purity and noble character, while ㇦Ӳឦ㪏ᘨ厍Ƕԋ㘆ែԠԋஇ≢଍Ƿ***卿㲞ᳰԋᙔഌໝ卿 ჺ卿㮰
peonies are associated with wealth and auspiciousness. For a similar 卿எ " 㮰 卿எ " 卼卿὞Մἃ㥚۬卿໭੓Ի݉ջເ㪺⁍ԕஎᡪ
depiction of peacocks amid a peony scroll but in mirror image, compare
a Yuan blue and white jar in the National Museum of Iran Ardebil ⎏ᦔஎ❧ᅴǯເ㪺㎜ᇨ㵶㏟⡩ᷛ卿⁍ԕ༡ዪ༛㏟म▼卿⩧ײເ㪺⁍ԕஎ
Shrine, see Chinese porcelain collections in the Near East III, Hong Ꮀἃԋஇ۔⢴म▼எᡪ卿ԆᎰἃᚺ᚝ԋឆᜀᇪ㤯᱁リ㊃⡠㱈ԠṜ㈩ǯ
Kong, 1981, p. 75, no. A24; p. 99, no. A24.

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