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96 Emperor Yang (AD569-618) of the short-lived Sui dynasty (AD581-
A GILT AND GRISAILLE-DECORATED RUBY-BACK ‘DRAGON 618), is perhaps best known for having reunited China through military
BOAT’ DISH might and completing the extraordinary engineering feat of the Grand
Yongzheng Canal. This canal, which still exists to this day, connected the Hai river
Finely enamelled with a central scene of a large imperial dragon boat in the north with the Qiantang river in the south and greatly helped
containing the Sui emperor Yang and his attendants being tugged economic growth and prosperity.
along the grand canal by women, followed by a smaller boat with
musicians, visible on both banks of the canal are mounted soldiers Apart from his military and engineering achievements, Emperor Yang
with lances, all within an urban landscape with city walls, houses and is infamous for his extravagant behaviour. According to some records,
pavilions interspersed with willow trees, surrounded by concentric when the canal was completed in AD609, Emperor Yang floated
bands of floral scrolls and diaper patterns on the everted rim. 65 miles on the canal in a large, expensive dragon boat pulled by
21.2cm (8 3/8in) diam. hundreds of his most beautiful palace ladies and followed by a flotilla
containing musicians and entertainers. It was said that along the shore,
£10,000 - 15,000 CNY92,000 - 140,000 sounds of merriment could be heard for a hundred miles. See Y.Ma
HK$110,000 - 160,000 and J.Lau, Traditional Chinese Stories: Themes and Variations, Boston,
1986, p.313. See also V.Xiong, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty: His
清雍正 外胭脂紅地內墨彩描金龍舟出行圖盤 Life, Times, and Legacy, New York, 2012, pp.75-94.

Provenance: a European private collection, acquired between FINE CHINESE ART | 121
1960-70, and thence by descent

來源：歐洲私人收藏，蒐於1960至1970年間，並由後人保存迄今