Page 44 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong April 2, 2019 Sotheby's

‘FROM FATHER TO SON’:

A MAGNIFICENT ‘DRAGON’ TIANQIUPING

DR HAJNI ELIAS

The present vase is impressive for its magnificent size and The theme of succession and the handing down of
eye-catching famille-rose decoration of a large imperial knowledge from father to son is poignantly represented
five-clawed dragon in the company of a smaller younger in a painting by the Jesuit missionary artist working in
dragon amidst ruyi-form clouds painted on a deep turquoise the Qing court, Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), titled
ground. The enamel colours are especially vibrant against Springs’s Peaceful Message (Ping’an chunxin tu) from
the turquoise ground that provides a dramatic effect to Qianlong’s painting collection. The painting depicts the
the overall colour scheme. The use of deep iron-red for young emperor receiving a sprig of plum blossom from his
the large dragon adds boldness and power to the design father, the Yongzheng emperor. In 1782, many years after
when comparing it to the soft pink enamel employed for its completion, Qianlong wrote the following poem on the
the smaller dragon. The clouds are spatially dispersed painting:
around the body giving the composition an air of lightness In portraiture Shining is masterful,
and the viewer the chance to focus on the main subject, He painted me during my younger days;
the two dragons, without any clutter. The painting is also The white-headed one who enters the rooms today,
remarkable for its meticulous shading and the layering of the Does not recognise who this is. 1
many different enamels, highlighted on the cloud motif, that
create an impressive three-dimensional effect. Turquoise The painting is rich in symbolism with the blossoming plum
ground wares, such as the present vase, were especially sprig representing the arrival of Spring, a new beginning
sought after by the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796) who and the moment when knowledge, and possibly power, was
actively encouraged ceramic artists at the Imperial kiln site transmitted from father to son, the young prince. Father
at Jingdezhen to be daring with their colours and palette is depicted in a posture emphasising his authority whilst
combinations. his son bends slightly forward showing reverence and
obedience. Interestingly, Castiglione used a turquoise-blue
2
Depictions of an impressive and powerful dragon in the shade for the background of the hanging scroll which may
company of a younger dragon, usually facing each other, in well have served as the inspiration for the use of turquoise
the Chinese decorative repertoire, represent the message as a ground for the present vase. The theme of succession
of ‘the old teaching its young one’. The proverb ‘canglong of imperial power and handing down knowledge from father
jiaozi’ which translates as ‘the old dragon teaches his son’ to son is in both the painting and the vase, the latter, this
is recorded in the Song dynasty (960-1279) Confucian time around most likely representing the figures of Qianlong
reading primer, the Sanzi jing [Three Character Classics] and his son, Prince Yongyan, the future Jiaqing Emperor.
generally attributed to Wang Yinglin (1223-1296), but also The treatment and positioning of the two dragons on the
accepted by some as the work of Ou Shizi (1234-1324). The vase emphasise a hierarchical relationship, mirroring what
Sanzi jing is a traditional text for teaching children, and as we see in the painting, where one figure represents authority
its name suggests, it is written in rhymed couplets for easy while the other respectful submission. However, whereas in
reading and remembrance. Young children would recite it the painting the prince appears to show a youthful maturity
often accompanied by swaying of the body to give a proper as if he is ready or conscious of the imperial patronage of
rhythm. It covers a wide range of topics, such as literature, his father, the portrayal of the younger dragon on the vase
philosophy, geography and history and also introduces emphasises its youthful features and perhaps therefore this
Confucian doctrines of importance on education, filial piety, vase was made early in the life of the prince.
proper family relations and correct moral behaviour. The
Qianlong emperor would have used this primer as a textbook For comparable examples to the present vase see a
when he was a young learner, and thus the message tianqiuping of the same impressive size decorated in famille-
conveyed on the vase would have been one that he would rose with nine five-clawed dragons amidst fire scrolls on a
have recited as a young child. turquoise wave ground sold in these rooms, 8th October
2010, lot 2700 (fig. 1). A Qianlong mark and period baluster