Page 148 - 2021 March 18th Junkunc Collection Christie's New York City

IMPORTANT CHINESE ART FROM THE JUNKUNC COLLECTION | 瓊肯珍藏重要中國藝術

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AN ENAMELED OPAQUE WHITE GLASS 1770-1799年 御製涅白地玻璃粉彩蟈蟈紋鼻煙壺
SNUFF BOTTLE 「古月軒」款
IMPERIAL, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING, 1770-1799
來源:
The sides are enameled with a continuous scene of a katydid standing Nagatani, Inc.，芝加哥，1948年10月1日。
on a radish beside a blue rock with begonias and asters, all below tassels 史蒂芬 • 瓊肯三世（1978年逝）珍藏。
pendent from the angled shoulder below a collar of blue trefoils. The
three-character mark, Guyue xuan (Ancient Moon Pavilion) is on Katydids (guoguo) pun on the Chinese word for "elder
the base. brother", conveying a wish for male progeny. The words for
2¡ in. (6 cm.) high katydids, crickets and grasshoppers form the rebus zhongsi
yanqing (May your children be as numerous as grasshoppers).
$4,000-6,000 An alternative meaning for the motif comes from the
association of "katydid" (guoguo) with a homonym for
PROVENANCE:
"country" to form the expression jinzhong baoguo, meaning
Nagatani, Inc., Chicago, 1 October 1948.
"to be loyal to one's country." The pun was a subtle way
Stephen Junkunc, III (d. 1978) Collection. of reminding officials of an essential tenet of Confucian
government. In addition, the insects are emblematic of
courage, and some species for their fighting prowess, and
were popular at every level of society in China, valued for their
merry chirping.

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