Page 181 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art
P. 181
fig. 1
Bronze-imitation famille-rose ‘children at play’ ‘double-gourd’ vase,
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, Qing court collection
© Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖一
清乾隆 粉彩醬地描金開光嬰戲圖葫蘆瓶
清宮舊藏
© 北京故宮博物院藏品
Imitations of other materials were a challenge See also a larger baluster vase, decorated on
taken up by the Jingdezhen potters to display each side with a large quatrefoil panel enclosing
the great potential of their craft, and appear to landscape scenes and also set with archaistic
have particularly pleased the Qianlong Emperor. dragon handles, but gilded with bats amidst cloud
Archaistic bronzes were particularly favoured as scrolls and sprays of lotus and lingzhi fungus,
popular models and were copied in a great variety with Qianlong mark and period, sold in these
of ways. The present vase belongs to a group of rooms, 9th November 1982, lot 300; and a lobed
wares that combined a bronze-inspired ground, ovoid vase, but splashed with gold mottling to
embellished with gilt-painted designs to simulate give a metallic effect, also sold in these rooms,
inlay, with a contemporary form and famille- 29th November 1976, lot 587.
rose design. A vase of this type, but of slightly
larger size and a darker brown ground than the In decoration and form this vase is full of
present, from the Qing court collection and still in auspicious imagery which reveals it was probably
Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of produced as a marriage gift. The double gourd
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with (hulu) is symbolic of the union of yin and yang,
Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose the meaning of which is complemented by the
Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 138 (fig. 1). gilt-painted butterflies that flit from flower to
flower symbolising a long a happy marriage.
Vases from this group were produced in an array The combination of the peony, chrysanthemum,
of forms and embellished with various famille- lotus and camellia on the upper bulb represents
rose scenes in shaped panels; a much smaller the four seasons, thus evoking the passage
hexagonal vase with archaistic dragon handles, of time while the wish for many successful
adorned with a landscape and poem on either sons is indicated by the scenes of boys at
side, was sold in these rooms, 29th November play. Furthermore, the landscapes provide the
1978, lot 304; a pair was sold in our London reminder to the young couple that a connection
rooms, 10th July 1979, lot 179; and a wall vase with nature is vital for their personal growth and
version, with Qianlong seal mark and period, was well-being.
sold in these rooms, 7th April 2015, lot 3123.
IMPORTANT CHINESE ART 179
