Page 286 - Sotheby's Chinese Art and Porcelain Auction New York September 12, 2018

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PROPERTY OF A NEW YORK PRIVATE COLLECTOR These two Þ gures were Þ rst mentioned, along with a third
individual, Qiu Ran Ke (Dragon-beard man), in the Þ ction
A SET OF TWO FAMILLE-ROSE ‘FIGURAL’
Qiu Ran Ke Zhuan/The Biography of the Dragon-Beard Man
PLAQUES
by Du Guangtong (c. 850-933), forming the trio known as
BY WANG DAFAN, DATED REPUBLIC 18TH Feng Chen San Xia (Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust) and
YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1929 together overthrew the Sui Dynasty.
The scene rendered on the second plaque is derived from a
both rectangular panels Þ nely enameled, the Þ rst, painted
well-known romance in Chinese history of Fan Li (c. 536-448
with the story of Fan Li delighting in a reclusive life with Xi
BC), a prominent minister and military strategist of the Yue
Shi on the Five Lakes, the renowned Spring and Autumn
kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC)
period military strategist of Yue depicted sitting together
and Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. With
with Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties, in a sampan boat
her ethereal beauty and unmatchable elegance, Xi Shi was
journeying on a lake, with a gnarled overhanging willow tree
chosen to be sent as a tribute to the court of Wu kingdom, a
in the foreground and a distant pavilion in the background,
long-time enemy of her home state, the Yue kingdom, with
accompanied by a poem on the same subject written by the
the intention to seek revenge by spying and taking advantage
Yuan dynasty poet Li Huan, followed by an inscription, dated
of the lust of King Fuchai of Wu. Xi Shi fell deeply in love with
Republic 18th year, corresponding to 1929, and an artist seal
Fan Li during the journey to the Wu Kingdom, and the wise
reading Dafan; the second, depicting Hong Fu Nü visiting the
minister also grew to admire the courage of this young lady.
Tang dynasty general Li Jing at night, the legendary beauty
The mission was subsequently accomplished after nearly
depicted wearing a shawl conversing with an attendant
two decades, and the two were said to have retired from
holding a candle at the gate to a pavilion, accompanied by
political service thereafter and lived in relative obscurity. The
a related poem written by the Ming dynasty poet Gao Qi,
scene depicted on the present plaque is a popular illustration
followed by an inscription, dated yisi year, corresponding to
of the two, who pleasantly roamed the misty wilderness of
1929, and two artist seals reading Kun and Dafan (2)
the placid Lake Taihu on a small boat.
Height 31⅞ in., 81 cm; Width 8⅛ in., 20.5 cm
Further famille-rose Þ gural plaques by Wang Dafan include
PROVENANCE
one painted with promenading Þ gures, included in the
Acquired in New York, early 1980s. exhibition Brush and Clay. Chinese Porcelain of the Early
20th Century, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990,
Striking for the vivid colors and meticulous details, these
cat. no. 68; two sold at Bonhams San Francisco, one painted
two splendidly painted plaques are the works of Wang
with statesmen and female musicians, 25th June 2014, lot
Dafan (1888-1961), a member of the prominent group of
6382, and a smaller second plaque illustrating Li Bo, 17th
Jingdezhen ceramic artists, the Zhushan Bayou [Eight
December 2013, lot 8354; and a fourth example, painted
Friends of Zhushan]. A native of Yixian, Anhui province,
with scholars, from the collection of the Hon. Andrew Li
Wang went to Jingdezhen at the age of Þ fteen and studied
Kwok Nang, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st December
under artist Wang Xiaotang (1885-1924), a master at
2010, lot 3279.
painting Þ gures of ladies in famille-rose enamel and vice-
president of the Porcelain Painting Research Institute. By $ 150,000-200,000
utilizing ß uid, expressive brushstrokes with exquisite colors,
as well as fusing elements from both traditional Chinese and 㮹⚳⋩ℓ⸜炷1929⸜炸ġġġ䌳⣏↉ἄ䰱⼑㲃凇Ḽ
Western paintings, Wang was able to create intricate and 㷾⚾⍲䲭㉪⣄⣼⚾䒟㜧ᶨ䳬ℑ⯷
whimsical Þ gures, which later became his personal style.
Already a highly respected artist within China, his artistic 㲃凇Ḽ㷾⚾䒟㜧柴嬀烉
mastery gained him further recognition internationally, when 䑏楔䔞⸜㙓ℍ嘆ġ⃰䓇㬌妰㚱㶙⚿
his Fugui Shoukao [Wealth, Honor and a Long Life] won a ⽫䞍㊯㖍ㆸ≇忇ġᶨ几㬠Ἦ㲃Ḽ㷾ġ㮹⚳⋩ℓ⸜⢷⚃㚰
gold medal at the Panama-PaciÞ c International Exposition
held in San Francisco in 1915. His inß uence on famille- ᶲ㽋⣏↉䌳➫⮓
rose Þ gural painting can still be felt today, as the works of
⌘㔯烉⣏↉
his son, Wang Xiaofan, and his nephew, Wang Xiliang (b.
1922-present), both well-known contemporary porcelain
painters, demonstrate traces of Wang Dafan’s exuberant 䲭㉪⣄⣼⚾䒟㜧柴嬀烉
style. 剙㝅ᶵ挾⼴➪㗍ġ⣄⋲攟⬱㕭恠屏
One of these splendidly painted plaques depicts Hong Fu Nu 㡬⍣侩⤜⽆㬌⭊ġ⎗⿄⮷⤻Ṏ䞍Ṣġ㗪⛐⶚⶛⇅⢷ᷳ㚰ġ
(the Red-whisk bearing lady), a legendary Chinese folk Þ gure 溇Ⱉ㧝⫸䌳⣏↉⮓㕤㖴㰇
from the Sui/Tang period, visiting a small inn in Chang’an
to meet her lover Li Jing (c. 571-649), who later became ⌘㔯烉➫ġ⣏↉
the General to Li Shimin (626-649), the future emperor of
the Tang dynasty (618-907). Originally a courtesan to Yang
Su (c. 544-606), a powerful minister of Sui court notorious
for his cruelty, it was said that Hong Fu Nu, who possessed Ը๕
both incredible martial talent and an intelligent mind, eloped 岤㕤䲸䲬炻1980⸜ẋ⇅
with the brilliant Li Jing in order to address the grievances
of the people su$ ering under the tyranny of the court.
END OF SALE
284 SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART