Page 200 - Metropolitan Museum Collection September 2016

(mark) •970

A SMALL AND UNUSUAL DOUCAI VASE

18TH CENTURY

The vase is molded with two bulbous sections, possibly
in imitation of bamboo, and is decorated with composite
floral scroll beneath a ruyi border at the mouth rim. The
base is inscribed with a three-character hallmark in iron-red
reading, Ben li tang.
4¿ in. (10.5 cm.) high

$5,000-7,000

PROVENANCE

Samuel Putnam Avery Sr. (1822-1904) Collection,
New York.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned
in 1879.

Ben li tang may be loosely translated as Hall of
Establishing Fundamentals. The expression would appear
to be derived from the Analects of Confucius, where
a disciple of Confucius, You Zi states, “The noble
man concerns himself with the fundamentals. Once
the fundamentals are established (ben li) the proper way
appears.”

清十八世紀 斗彩番蓮紋小瓶 礬紅《本立堂》款

來源
Samuel Putnam Avery（1822-1904）珍藏， 紐約。
紐約大都會藝術博物館，入藏於1879年。

971

A DOUCAI HIGH-SHOULDERED VASE

18TH CENTURY

The sides are decorated with two winged dragons amidst
composite blossoming floral scroll between lappet and
key-fret borders.
13¿ in. (33.2 cm.) high

$8,000-12,000

PROVENANCE

Samuel Putnam Avery Sr. (1822-1904) Collection, New
York.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned
in 1879.

清十八世紀 斗彩龍穿花紋梅瓶

來源
Samuel Putnam Avery（1822-1904）珍藏， 紐約。
紐約大都會藝術博物館，入藏於1879年。

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