Page 36 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK
P. 36

fig. 4  Children Playing in an Autumn Garden by Su Hanchen. (fl. mid-12th century)
                                          Collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei
                                          எ୨  ⼖ᶴ⯀ Ƕ☌ᄥວᏈஎǷ  இ⛁ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦৅


         Form and Harmonious Decoration – Four Dynasties of Jingdezhen Porcelain,   3FDPOTUSVDUJOH  $IFOHIVB  QPSDFMBJOǷ㮰
         London, 1992, p. 56, no. 47), while ten similar bowls are included among   ࣿ      ⤔⽚   卻ٳᘹ厍    卼ǯഌ⣠ᇪ
                                                                 th
         the imperial treasures depicted on a long handscroll, dated to the 6    
೥卻4JS  1FSDJWBM  %BWJE卼Ⅷ⻦Ӭ׾ԋ✙
         year of the Yongzheng reign (equivalent to 1728), entitled Guwan tu ऒ⅊  ഌཎ⎏Ꮀࢇ㬪ⱤວᏈ⎾卿எ㇦⼖⅌⇷Ꮢⶬ
         எ Pictures of Ancient Playthings, also in Sir Percival David’s collection.  A   Ƕᆨ★ⰰ㿃୨ջⅧǷ㮰    ⤔⽚   卻ٳᘹ厍
         Chenghua doucai cup with boys at play was also excavated from the late       卼厎᫉ം卿ഌ⣠ᇪ
೥བⅧ⻦Ӭზ㫇
         Chenghua stratum at Jingdezhen and illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua   ᫈ݪჺ卻⡙ݩ݉      ჺ卼Ƕऒ⅊எǷᏛ
         – Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan,
                                                                     ࣍卿Ꮢ▔༈ᅡᇙ⻦⇁⇶ᶕ⏖卿⋁ԋԮᝳࢦ
         Jingdeezhen, op. cit., p. 268, no. C90.  A pair of Chenghua doucai cups
                                                                     ׾㘆ַ⎾ǯᜀᇪ㤯Ꮀࢇᛮឆ≢ྉ߅கᙔ⁒
         decorated with boys at play preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
                                                                     ԋᝳӬ։Ꮀࢇ㶯ᆭວᏈ⎷卿எ㇦߿㘚ⶬה
         from the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome
                                                                     ǶᎰ⚨㚃ⅧǷ㮰     ⤔⽚ $  ǯ࢈՗ᘢ༈
         and Contrasting Colours, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the
                                                                     ࢷ⁒㩴᳖༈⯠⻦ԋԮᝳӬཌᎰࢇ㶯ᆭວᏈ
         Palace Museum, vol. 38, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 194, no. 176.
                                                                     எ⎷卿㖊ᙻǶᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦ᙔ⁒Ⅷ৅ݥ㫀
                             th
         However, it was in the 16  century that porcelains decorated with designs     厍ՆᆭǮ㶯ᆭǷ㮰     ⤔⽚    卻㲞ᳰ厍
         of boys at play – executed in rich cobalt blue reached their apogee, and       卼ǯ
         the most impressive of these are the large jars dating to the Jiajing reign
                                                                     ֿⲋ㋏ࣿ⊇ᄂ⻤㬪ᙠ⥾ㅳ⩧Ꮀ⎏ວᏈஎ≢
         (1552-66), as exemplified by the current jar.  These jars are sometimes
                                                                     ଍卿ං⢏սࢦݪӽ⡕ㅳ৅ἃӳ卿ݯԋࣽս
         called ‘hundred boys jars’, and are especially skilfully painted in the finest
                                                                     ទᐽ৅㘺㯸ૃ㬬卻ݩ݉         ჺ卼ഌ⧉
         cobalt.  Not only does the greater size of the vessels provide the ceramic
                                                                     ཝἃज㈊ǯ໦ٛࣽलǸ⎋ຽஎ⧉ǹ卿അ⊇
         decorator with the larger ‘canvas’ and greater freedom in the portrayal
                                                                     ᥑ৅㬪ᙠ⥾ལ卿⊺႙Ὅᬘ⠢ᴗǯ㘺㯸଍⁒
         of his subject, but the cobalt available at the imperial kilns in the Jiajing
                                                                     㩶଍௛㖅ഌ卿ἃ⊺≢Ⴧᓽ؊Իᝤഌ⎏Ǹ⊺
         reign produced an exceptionally vibrant blue and greatly enhanced the
         decoration.  The Jiajing reign was one during which the emperor was   Ⴋǹࣿࠛה⚁㧿Ԡം卿ૃ㬬ᇙ⚨⎏㬪ᙠ१
         a devout Daoist, who became involved with alchemical Daoism.  As his   ⰰՔᡟം㸓ᚺ卿⡠㱈ᘤ៧ഌἃᘛ੓ǯૃ㬬
         reign progressed, he became obsessed with two things – immortality and   ⎑Ⴝ❿ؼ㙣ᘰ卿ᮩ㘞Ὢԕـմǯ㪪␖ᛞ㧿
         imperial sons.  According to the Ming Shi ( ᚺट History of the Ming), in   ⎏ᓠ☭卿ձ㘤᭯㧩⊂Ӷ⩞ক⊂ຽ⛁ܻԠᇵ
              th
         the 11  year of the Jiaijing reign (AD 1532) the emperor commanded that   ⎽⎉῍ῂǯᗌǶᚺटǷ㉃㖊卿ૃ㬬ࢦӬჺ
         a Daoist ritual be held in the Imperial Garden with the specific purpose   卻ݩ݉      ჺ卼卿⎑ӳஙᇙⱤஊݤ⯟リ㙣
         of praying for the birth of imperial sons.  It was to be expected that the   ᘰܔᅴ卿□᭯⎏᫈ᛓ഍㐁ຽથǯӶ㫙ዏ۬卿


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