Page 37 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK
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fig. 5 A blue and white ‘boys’ bowl, Yongle period. Tianminlou Collection fig. 6 A blue and white ‘boys’ bowl, Chenghua period.
எՆ ᚺ᭦ᦼ 㬪ⱤວᏈஎ⎾ ᭆ⻦ Collection of the Jingdezhen Ceramics Institute
எݪ ᚺᎰࢇ 㬪ⱤວᏈஎ⎾ ᜀᇪ㤯Ⴊ㪃≢Ⓔ♾Ꮢ⻦
emperor’s desire for sons should be translated into designs on imperial ᚘӳᝳᏒൃ卿༈ᅡㅛ㱈⻱ワՔ᫊Ք
decorative arts, including porcelains. 㑮卿≢ՔӶംǯ
It is interesting to note that Ming dynasty bowls decorated with boys ཝ㮷Ӭᓽ⎏ᛓ卿ວᏈ㯪ឬஙࢦݨӽ⡕᳖ᅡ
at play were included in the 1728 handscroll painted for the Yongzheng ،᱁リӻۄई㞒卿୬᫉ங㫇᫈⎑Ⴝ
emperor, since this theme was clearly one which was still popular and ჺউ՞⥾ㅳ⎏Ꮫ࣍ԋ卿խ⧲ߛԻӬᏼ
th
important at the Qing court of the 18 century. In fact, the theme of ᚺջວᏈ⎾ǯ㊦卿Գ㪏ង㪪࣊㘃Իວ
boys at play reached a further peak of popularity in the Qianlong reign. Ꮘஎ⎏औӬٖ㿩㞖ჺջǯԳ㪏Ⴝཌ㘺㯸ㅛ
The emperor’s fondness for this decorative theme is emphasised by the 㱈㯪ឬካᝳℒ㤃卿ལ᫉ज㌴㋭༈ᅡ⊺Ⴧℳ
existence of a beautiful ㏧ⶔ tieluo mural painted by the court painter ᄁໝ卻Ⴧᇖ᪹ᰲ⪉♤ᝯ۔ᘰ㚿ӽ༱卼Ꮢ
ℳᄁໝ Wang Youxue, who was a disciple of the European Jesuit artist ⥾⎏Ӭზ⠢⧻㏧ⶔ卿ࣿݯ⥾ᙻԳ㪏୨ࢦӬ
th
Castiglione ( 㚿ӽ༱ Lang Shining), and others on the 28 day of the ჺ卻ݩ݉ ჺ卼ՀᝲՀࢦݨᚚ⎏औӬᏼ
nd
2 month in 1776 (illustrated in A Lofty Retreat from the Red Dust: The ⊺ה卿எǶ㯎㱐㌎ಋੰ厍Գ㪏⎑Ⴝ⎏☖
Secret Garden of Emperor Qianlong, Hong Kong, 2012, pp. 170-5, no. 33). ༗ⱤஊǷ㮰 ⤔⽚ 卻㲞ᳰ厍 卼卻ॲ
(fig. 7) This mural is on the west wall of the central room of the 㱐ক ˒卼ǯ㊃ზ㏧ⶔׅᙻ࢈⡻●ఉ⎏Գ㪏ᇙ
⠢⯣ Yanghe Jingshe (Supreme Chamber for Cultivating Harmony), Ɽஊݤ卿⠉㏧ᙻ㱐ক⠢⯣ᚺ㧿㇛ೀԠӳǯ
which is in the Qianlong Emperor’s gardens in the Forbidden City, ༈ݤᝳഅზ㘻ᜀ㏧ⶔ㇡⸌ᙃ㬷ೀ卿ⲋ
Beijing. The painting is one of several trompe d’oeil murals created in the ༀݤ⚁㧿⎏ᅠֳ卿⩧߿㘚㏧ⶔ⎏ᄥஊᜀ⯎
palace which cover a whole wall and appear to extend the room, and in Քᡎᡎൈǯ᫉ה⥾ݨल⎑ຽᙻᄻӴງᏈ卿
this case offer a view into a garden beyond. The focus of the scene is a ݦׅℳஙᙿᾅ⏭卿औᝳ⛐ຽஙஊݤງ⩨ǯ
group of eight imperial children at play, accompanied by two imperial ⊺ԋ⎑ຽ⎏▵ጔካₕ卿⯝ទᐽ⎏⛐ຽൈ
concubines, while two more boys are depicted in the garden itself. The ߅Ӭ㗂ǯ
depiction of the young princes has strong similarities with the boys on
Գ㪏ᛞឆᓼ⥾⛐ຽᙻⱤ⒢᧦ណ㧿ງᏈ⎏
the current jar.
ה㚍ᝳ㞖ᅡ᧐⎏Ƕ⨍ວ㶯ⳞஎǷ㉑ⰰ
Another rendering of young boys playing amongst flowers, rocks and trees, ⡮ទᑦ㕻卿→⻦࢈ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴卿எ
dating to the Qianlong reign, is a hanging scroll in ink and colour on Ƕ'PSCJEEFO $JUZ *NQFSJBM 5SFBTVSFT GSPN
paper entitled Children Playing in the Garden ⨍ວ㶯Ⳟஎ by the court artist UIF 1BMBDF .VTFVN #FJKJOHǷ㮰 எ
Jin Tingbiao ( 㞖ᅡ᧐ active 1757-1767) preserved in the Palace Museum, ‸ 卻⣠मཪՌ厍 卼卻ॲՌ卼ǯ᫉
Beijing (illustrated in Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, எ⊂࡚ᓼ⥾Ի໐⛐㊘⏻㶯Ⳟ⎏ካᜀ卿ठ
35