Page 32 - Three Qianlong Rarities Christies Hong Kong May 2018

fig. 1 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖一 北京故宮博物院藏品 圖二 北京故宮博物院藏品

The festive nature of the ‘Hundred Boys’ design brings A number of these vases are in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
much animation and vivacity to the composition on these including a large baluster jar, a small covered jar, and a
vases. The subject of boys or of children was very popular on lantern-form vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of
decorative arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Traditionally, Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne
they represent the wish for abundant offspring, or in Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong,
particular, sons, and wealth. This theme can be found on 1999, pp. 138-139, no. 121 (fig. 1), p. 146, no. 128 (fig. 2), and
several Qianlong vases, similarly rendered as on the present p. 150, no. 132 (fig. 3). Compare, also, a lantern vase of this
lot, with boys at play within a garden scenery against a design in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Official Kiln
mountainous backdrop. Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p.
320 (fig. 4); a pair of ruby-ground vases in private collection,
illustrated in One Thousand Years of Jingdezhen, Tokyo,
2006, p, 71, no. 49; and a large turquoise-ground vase sold
at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3326; and a pair
of famille rose and underglaze blue vases, sold at Sotheby’s
Hong Kong, 30 October 2002, lot 267.

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