Page 18 - 2021 March 18 to 19th, Important Chinese Works of Art, Christie's New York City

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTION
716
A VERY RARE CORAL-GROUND FAMILLE The elaborate and highly amusing design on the present bowl is based
VERTE 'BOYS' BOWL on earlier Ming prototypes of children gathered in groups playing in a
KANGXI SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE landscaped garden. The earliest known representation of this motif can
WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1662-1722) be seen on a Yongle blue and white bowl exhibited at the Hong Kong
Museum of Art, Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection,
The bowl is decorated with enamels and gilt on a coral-red ground, with
Hong Kong, 1987, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 15.
four groups of four boys, some playing with a squirrel and others engaged
in different leisurely pursuits, beside rocks and plantain on a continuous
The deep, coral enamel used as the ground was an innovation of the
fenced garden terrace.
Qing dynasty, when new enamel colors became available. A pair of
8º in. (21 cm.) diam. coral-ground ‘boys’ bowls, also with Kangxi marks and of the period, but
more densely decorated with boys and leaving less space for the rich
$50,000-80,000 coral ground, is illustrated by G. Hasebe, Qing Ceramics from Seikado;
The Beauty of Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln, Tokyo, 2006, p. 37, no. 27. In the
PROVENANCE:
present design, the smaller groups of boys allow for more space and
T. T. Tsui (1941-2010) Collection, Hong Kong.
rhythm in the design, and the gilt detailing gives an added richness to
this new palette.
EXHIBITED:
Hong Kong, The Min Chiu Society, Splendour of the Qing Dynasty,
Although seemingly rare in the Kangxi period, the design continued
9 June to 2 August 1992.
through the 18th century and achieved particular popularity during the
LITERATURE: Jiaqing period, from which numerous examples survive. A pair of bowls
The Min Chiu Society, Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1992, with identical design but from the Qianlong period is illustrated in
p. 362, no. 229. Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, Japan, 1987, pl. 952. Jiaqing
The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics IV; Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, examples include a bowl in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The
1995, no. 104. Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum – 38 – Porcelains
in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pp. 173-74, pl.
清康熙 珊瑚紅地五彩描金嬰戲圖盌 雙圈六字楷書款 159.
來源: The present bowl appears to be the second Kangxi-marked example
徐展堂(1941-2010)珍藏, 香港。 to come to auction in recent years. One Kangxi-marked bowl from the
collection of Soame Jenyns, the Assistant Keeper of Oriental Antiquities
展覽: at the British Museum, was sold at Christie’s London, 6 November 2018,
香港, 敏求精舍, 清朝瑰寶,1992年6月9日至8月2日。
lot 36.
出版:
敏求精舍, 《清朝瑰寶》, 香港, 1992年, 頁 362, 229號。
徐氏藝術館,《徐氏藝術館．陶瓷篇IV．清代》，香港，1995年，
圖版104號。

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