Page 148 - Bonhams Catalog Cohen and Cohen Jan 24, 2023 New York

65 ¤ 66 ¤
A BLUE AND WHITE ‘RIVER GODS IN DISTRESS’ PLATE AFTER A SMALL BLUE AND WHITE ‘RIVER GODS IN DISTRESS’ SIDE
TEYLER PLATE AFTER TEYLER
Qianlong period, circa 1755-60 Qianlong period, circa 1755-60
Painted in various shades of underglaze cobalt blue with a scene Painted in dark shades of underglaze cobalt blue with a scene of six
of six semi-naked figures on a small promontory with reeds, two semi-naked figures on a small promontory with reeds, two standing,
standing, three seated and one prone with an arm outstretched in three seated and one prone with an arm outstretched in the river
the river before them, two semi-naked children embraced to one side before them, two semi-naked children embraced to one side and
and reflected in the water below them, a rocky outcrop with trees and reflected in the water below them, a rocky outcrop with trees and
bushes rises to one side, all below a simple diaper-cell ground at the bushes rises to one side, all below a simple diaper-cell ground at the
border, the reverse plain. border, the reverse plain.
9in (23cm) diam 6 1/2in (16.5cm) diam
$2,000 - 3,000 $800 - 1,200

乾隆時期 約1755-60年 青花仿Teyler之《河神遭難》圖盤 乾隆時期 約1755-60年 青花仿之《河神遭難》圖小盤
Published: Published:
Cohen & Cohen, Baroque and Roll, Antwerp, 2015, pp. 80-81, no. 53 Cohen & Cohen, Hit and Myth, Antwerp, 2014-B, p. 85, no. 48
Cohen & Cohen, The Elephant in the Room, Antwerp, 2019, pp. 40-
41, no. 16, see for an essay by Will Motley on the design and images 出版：
of the print source. 倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，《Hit and Myth》，安特衛普，2014
年-B，頁85，圖版編號48
出版：
倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，《Baroque and Roll》，安特衛 See the footnote relating to the previous lot for a discussion of the
普，2015年，頁80-81，圖版編號53 mythological subject. Before the discovery of the Teyler engraving,
Cohen & Cohen，《The Elephant in the Room》，安特衛普，2019 it had been suggested, understandably so, given the possible
年，頁40-41，圖錄編號16，Will Motley撰文闡述此圖樣之設計與來 misreading of the depiction, that the scene was that of survivors of a
源。 shipwreck off the east African coast.

The scene shows a detail from a print by Johannes Teyler (1648-c.
1709) from his Opus Typochromaticum, depicting the ‘Fall of Phaeton’
(fig.1). Two other prints from this source are known on Chinese export
porcelain. Phaethon, the son of the sun god Helios, begged his father
to prove his paternity to his friends, so Helios swore an oath on the
River Styx to grant any wish the youth wanted. Phaethon chose to
ride the famous sun chariot and, despite his father’s warning that the
steeds were too strong for him, the young man took the reins. His
lack of control led to disasters when he flew too low and scorched the
earth.

The part of the Teyler print illustrated here shows a group of river gods
in distress. They petitioned Zeus to stop Phaeton’s uncontrolled chariot
ride as it caused their rivers to dry up. When Zeus killed Phaeton with a
thunderbolt he fell into the river where he drowned.

For other examples see, Hervouët et Bruneau, 1986, no. 9.42, 206, a (fig.1)
saucer from the Groninger Museum; Sapage 1992, cat. 35, a pair of
teabowls and saucers, Victoria & Albert Museum, a plate, C.368-1921;
Cohen & Cohen 2002, 12, an earlier lotus-form dish with this scene;
see also Cohen & Cohen, Hit and Myth, Antwerp, 2014B, p. 85, no.
48, for a smaller plate offered as lot 66 in this sale.

146 | BONHAMS