Page 196 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art
P. 196
FOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OF SCHOLARLY LADIES
REGINA KRAHL
This covered jar is a showpiece of the in Ye Peilan, Yuandai ciqi [Porcelain of the Yuan
breathtaking craftsmanship at the Longquan kilns dynasty], Beijing, 1998, pl. 62 B, and sold in these
in Zhejiang province in the Yuan dynasty (1279- rooms, 5th November 1996, lot 740 (fig. 1). It
1368); but more importantly, it is a remarkable depicts the play’s main female protagonists, Lady
historical document evidencing an aspect of Cui Yingying and her maid, in a garden setting.
Chinese society that we otherwise rarely see: the Longquan jars, where similar scenes were carved
appreciation of cultured women. This set of jar in relief, are at least as rare as their blue and
and cover is unique in design and outstanding in white counterparts (see the listing below).
execution.
The subject illustrated on the present jar is
The Longquan kilns, which in the Song dynasty completely different and appears to be unique
(960-1279) had excelled in creating subtle, at this time and extremely rare at any period.
understated, mostly undecorated green-glazed The concept of Four Scholarly Accomplishments
vessels, in the Yuan dynasty had to fight against that define a cultured gentleman is credited to
increasing competition from the Jingdezhen a ninth-century text on calligraphy, Fashu yaolu
kilns in neighbouring Jiangxi province with [Compendium of calligraphy] by Zhang Yanyuan.
their vivid blue painted porcelains. Taste in Qin, qi, shu, and hua indicated competence in
this open, cosmopolitan period had moved performing on the qin zither, playing the weiqi
away from the serene towards the exuberant, (or go, ‘surrounding chequers’) board game,
and as blue and white porcelain became ever practising calligraphy and being adept at painting.
more popular, other kilns had to become more The mastery of these skills was a prerequisite for
inventive. The Longquan kilns answered this China’s literati elite, and gentlemen exercising
challenge by increasing the drama of their own these four activities are frequently depicted in the
products through ostentatious carved, moulded arts of China.
and applied decoration, often in high relief, and
sometimes left in the reddish-brown biscuit, Although traditionally the realm of men in the
so as to add another colour to the otherwise upper echelons of society, women of similar
monochrome style. social strata were not necessarily excluded
from these occupations. Educated female
In their topics and styles of decoration circles existed in parallel to the many male
many Longquan wares of this period closely literary groupings, albeit less in the limelight and
followed the contemporary development at the probably on a much smaller scale. To be able to
Jingdezhen kilns. Still the most admired among play an instrument had always been considered
the spectacular blue and white porcelains of an asset for a woman; ladies playing board
the Yuan dynasty are jars with figure designs games are depicted in paintings at least since
produced for a clientele inland rather than for the Tang dynasty (618-907), whereby weiqi was
export. They mostly feature scenes from Yuan considered less of a pastime than an exercise
drama, often from the play Xixiang ji (Romance of in strategic thinking (Richard M. Barnhart et al.,
the Western Chamber), which was compiled in the Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, New
Yuan dynasty from earlier sources. An example is Haven, 1997, p. 76); and from most dynasties
the jar from the Au Bak Ling collection, published we know literary and artistic women that had
194 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比
