Page 149 - Blum Feinstein Tanka collection HIMALAYAN Art Bonhams March 20 2024

PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION NEW YORK
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A REVERSE-GLASS MIRROR PAINTING OF THE DRAGON BOAT One of the most popular of the yearly Chinese festivals, Duanwu
FESTIVAL (Dragon Boat Festival) is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month.
19th century, circa 1850-1880 Originally celebrated to ensure a good harvest, many folk stories and
The lively scene set on a riverbank with Zhong Kui (the demon queller) myths developed concerning its origin. One of the most popular relates
standing on the prow of a festival cart fashioned as a 'dragon boat' to the death of Qu Yuan, a Warring States period poet who threw
gaily decorated with multiple banners and carrying a group of male himself in the river after the fall of the Chu capital by the Qin in 278
celebrants with well-dressed females holding silk ribbons tied to the BC. Tradition holds that boatmen often throw rice cakes in the river to
wheels of the cart, the scene rendered with rich opaque pigments on the fish and spirits to scare them away from Qu's body. This activity
the mirrored surface. precipitated the popularity of dragon boat racing, and the origin of
23 1/2in x 31 3/4in (59.8cm x 80.8cm); 29 1/8in x 37 5/8in (74cm x making and eating zongzi (rice cake dumplings), a popular food during
95.7cm) with frame this event.
$8,000 - 12,000 Zhong Kui, the demon queller, is associated with this festival as an
agent to combat evil spirits associated with illness and the struggle
十九世紀 約1850-1880年 端午龍舟遊河圖鏡畫 between yin and yang. He is seen in this painting on the bow of the
boat as the chief protector. Plants, herbs, and charms were also used
to repel the dark forces.
The long sashes carried by the gaily dressed women may allude to
the tradition of weaving them from the five colors of the elements, as a
charm to be worn during this event.
CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART | 147