Page 8 - Later Chinese Bronzes from the Collection of Ulrich-Hk 2014

sold in these rooms, 8th October 2006, lot 1014 and again 8th October 2009, lot 1632, where the catalogue noted that
vases of this design appear to have been introduced in the Yongzheng period, but are extremely rare with Yongzheng
or Qianlong reign marks. A line drawing of this form is included among Yongzheng shapes in Geng Baochang, Ming
Qing ciqi jianding, Hong Kong, 1993, p.235, fig.401: 13, where it is called sanxicun ('vase of three beasts of uniform
colour'), referring to the kind of animals used in ritual offerings. A Yongzheng as well as a Qianlong example with a Ru
type glaze are in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, the former included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing
Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum: K'ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl.129, the
latter in the Museum's exhibition catalogue Qingdai danseyou ciqi / Special Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Monochrome
Porcelains in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1989, cat. no. 88.

The ram is a traditional emblem of good luck, since the Chinese term for ram (or goat), yang, is a homophone of yang
, (sun), and represents the male or positive principle in the yin-yang duality. The Chinese character for ram is also
used as a variant for a similar character pronounced xiang, which means happiness. Three rams, san yang, are
considered a particularly auspicious symbol, evoking the expression san yang kai tai, the awakening of nature in
spring, which signifies good luck and happiness. San yang shen are the three yang spirits in Daoism, the 'original
spirit', the 'spirit that knows', and the 'real spirit'.