Page 32 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

THE BLESSING OF MANY SONS

Rosemary Scott
Senior International Academic Consultant Asian Art

This magnificent jar, which is extremely rare, especially in having retained ‱⛔⛔䣀
its lid, is one of a pair from the collection of the renowned Shanghainese
ᒝࢦ㤏
collector J.M. Hu (1911-1995, Hu Jenmou ⫽գ⁑ also known as Hu
Huichun ⫽ዃᛌ ), whose studio name was Zande Lou ( ᜮᇑ᧊ Studio 㤍⩇༈㡗ಊᆫॱ⯯➬
of Transitory Enjoyment), and who donated a significant number of his
monochrome porcelains to the Shanghai Museum. The current jar and ⳹ἯῚ
its pair, along with other highlights from J. M. Hu’s collection, can be seen ̯ᨕⳔ⻒㒴㇔᪨४㢄ೀ⻒㧣ࠑ
in a photograph taken in his Hong Kong residence in the 1980s (fig. 1).
The current jar was sold at Sotheby’s New York in September 1993, and
entered the Hong Kong Jingguantang 㬱㈊ల collection belonging to T.T. ᫉⧉৅⏟צ൘卿ݳԠࣥ㜩⧉⸌໭ൃὍ⦷卿
Tsui (1941-2010 ᇍཿల ), from where it was sold again at Christie’s Hong ⎽㰆ݯ⧎㏟Ὅ࢟ǯ໦߅⯇ӳᱡ㦶⻦⊤᯿ᙟ
Kong in November 1997, before coming to auction again in November ⫽ዃᛌݎ⊂卻 ⯍ ჺ卿ࣽल⫽գ
2007. The pair to the current jar is now in the Hong Kong collection of ⁑卼⯠⻦ӬཌວᏈஎ⧉卿⫽᭄䁗लǸᜮᇑ
the Tianminlou Foundation ഍ᭆ᧊⻦ (fig. 2). ᧊ǹ卿ᝪशӳᱡࢷ⁒㱦ᒝ߅Ӭᏼᙇ㞔ज㈊
⎏੷ⰰ㞏≢଍ǯ→ໄӬბᘂᙻ ჺջ⎏
Large jars of this type provide an ideal ‘canvas’ on which to depict one
of the most lively and socially significant figural themes in the Chinese ⫽᭄㲞ᳰ།཰⯠ᾅ卿எԋ㑂὞ज㇦᫉ཌ⸌
decorative arts – boy children playing in a garden. On the current jar ⧉ࣿݯձݱ⻦Ԡה卻ॲː卼ǯ ჺ ᝲ卿
this theme provides the main decoration encircling the jar and is painted ទᐽ৅Ւ⊐⡥⡙⼖༛ᬘᐽ㐈卿Ԇ⡢ݣ㲞ᳰ
in the rich jewel-like cobalt-blue, which is found on the finest imperial ᇍཿల卻 ჺ卼⎏㬱㈊లⅧ⻦卿
porcelains of the Jiajing reign. The desire for children, especially sons, ᇌᙻ ჺ ᝲ⣌㲞ᳰצ೥ᇑᚿᏛ卿ࣿ
was one which permeated all strata of society in traditional China. ⯍ ჺ ᝲංݻᄟՙ⏟ᐽౚǯទ⧉⎏
Families needed sons. In peasant families they were required to work the 㜩ཌԠה→ἃ㲞ᳰ഍ᭆ᧊Ⅷ⻦卻ॲ̤卼ǯ
fields; among the scholar official class they could take up official posts,
which would provide prosperity and security; while for the emperor ஙԋஇㅛ㱈⻱ワ⎏ݰ㎜㯪ឬԋ卿Ǹᄥ㩴ວ
they provided imperial successors. Thus, images of young boy children Ꮘஎǹश׹ս⊂㑪⏀὞কߣݰ▘ᝯዪ᲎ⶬ
frequently appear in the Chinese arts, and rebuses were developed, which ♑卿۬ទᐽ৅㘺Ӭ㯸⎏ഌ⧉ᝤἃ᫉ᓽ؊Ի
emphasised both the wish for many sons and grandsons, and the hope Ӭ᱁Ǹ⊺Ⴋǹǯទᐽ৅⎏㘻ᜀ⡠㱈᫈ᛓս
that those sons would be healthy, intelligent, honourable and successful. A ᫉ἃ㯪卿ݯ㟨⻤ⷿ⨿Ḽⰴ卿ԛૃ㬬ᇙ≢჎
daughter would move to her husband’s family when she married, but the ⊇⎏㬪ᙠǯԋஇ۔⢴▘ᝯӳ⯍Ⴝℳཆ⏟卿
filial piety required by Confucian teaching obliged a son to care for his Ӵ⯍㏖ഏ㑇ࢳ卿⎐㇬۔໵ᓞջ卻ཝݯᛓ᭯
parents in their old age, as well as to bring honour and prosperity to his
ຽ卼ἃ㯔✙ഌԿǯ།།ᏋᏋὍӶ□ឃຽથ
family. Indeed, in traditional China sons were needed to carry out a range
ᚸ⏇ǯ㗬།ຽᅾᛓ⩯⊏♎஠⎏೧ӭ厎໶༂
of ceremonies and rites for the benefit of family and ancestors.
Ԡ།⎏໐ຽߺज᭯इ࠻ल卿սᑾ⯞།᥉Ǯ
In addition to the practical and Confucian need for sons, the importance ݏ໵⩝▭厎⎑།ຽથᝤᛓᮅྒྷ▘♒⎏উ⬛
of children in Chinese art also had roots in religious beliefs based in Ꮢஙǯᘢ᫉卿⛐ຽᛓ՞ٛ੧⪡ᦼ㇦⎏ԋஇ

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