Page 236 - Christie's, NYC Important Chinese Works Of Art Sept. 22-23, 2022

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION
NYC20719_PGS_0200_0285.indd
NYC20719_PGS_0200_0285.indd
928
A MASSIVE AND SUPERBLY DECORATED FAMILLE VERTE
`ROMANCE OF THREE KINGDOMS’ ROULEAU VASE
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)
The cylindrical body is exquisitely decorated with a continuous scene from
chapter twenty of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which the
Emperor Xianzong leads a hunting expedition with the heroes Liu Bei, Guan Yu
and Zhang Fei in the entourage, and Cao Cao successfully shoots a deer after
the Emperor’s multiple failed attempts, implying his ambition for the throne.
The slanted shoulder is decorated with medallions containing beribboned
emblems against a diaper ground below the neck decorated with Shoulao (the
Star God of Longevity) presenting a peach to a child held by the Star God of
Blessings and accompanied by the Star God of Prosperity. The galleried rim is
encircled by an iron-red band of formal scrolls.
30 in. (76 cm.) high
$200,000-300,000
PROVENANCE:
The Property of a Gentleman; Sotheby’s London, 27 February 1973, lot 80.
Sotheby’s London, 7 November 2007, lot 329.
重要私人珍藏
清康熙 五彩逐鹿中原圖大棒槌瓶
來源:
士紳珍藏; 倫敦蘇富比, 1973 年 2 月 27 日, 拍品編號 80
倫敦蘇富比, 2007 年 11 月 7 日, 拍品編號 329
Few famille verte Kangxi-period rouleau vases of such magnificent size
with narrative scenes survive. The present vase is impressive not only for
its imposing size, but for the sophisticated and animated painting style
and the very fine condition. Porcelain decorated with famous episodes
from the lives of noteworthy scholars and heroes from China’s historical
past, or from popular novels, became particularly popular during the mid-
seventeenth century when the collapse of the Ming dynasty freed the potters
of Jingdezhen from imperial influence. New and creative painting styles
emerged in the blue and white and wucai palettes, as production shifted to
appeal to the literati class.
The success of this innovative style is evident, as it continued to be
popular into the Kangxi period and expanded to include the famille verte
palette. Hunting scenes, such as that seen on the current vase, battles and
romantic stories were favorite themes, complimented by decorative panels
of landscapes, ‘antiques’ or flowers. The decoration on the current vase is
particularly noteworthy in the extensive use of iron-red enamel, which adds
even more strength to the powerfully rendered scene.
A small group of related famille verte vases of similar massive size to the
present example and decorated with continuous, narrative scenes, can be
found in private and museum collections, such as the example in The Taft
Museum, Cincinnati, illustrated in The Taft Museum, Chinese Ceramics and
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