Page 66 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong April 2, 2019 Sotheby's

‘IN PURSUIT OF WISDOM AND TRUTH’
A MAGNIFICENT ‘DRAGON’ MEIPING

DR HAJNI ELIAS

The present vase is exceptional for its elegant meiping the turquoise-ground ‘dragon’ tianqiuping in this sale, lot
form, flawless potting and impressive painterly decoration 3614. However, the composition on this vase convey’s an
of two dragons, a larger and a smaller beast, writhing additional important meaning to the well known ‘father and
between clouds with mouths wide open and eyes intently son’ subject matter, derived from the Daoist mythological
gazing at the ‘precious pearl (baozhu)’ also known as the tale of the two Azur Dragons (qinglong) being gifted the
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wish-granting or flaming pearl. The vase is a fine example pearl of wisdom. The Chinese saying, ‘xuanglong qiangzhu’,
of an imperial blue and white ware decorated with iron-red which translates as ‘a pair of dragons contending over a
enamel over the glaze. The design of two dragons pursuing pearl’ evokes this popular tale which may have served as the
the luminous pearl is more familiar from contemporaneous inspiration for the decoration on this vase.
textiles, especially costumes from the Manchu court, such as According to the legend, while bathing in the Heavenly Lake
the jifu (semiformal robe) worn by the Qing emperors, that (tianchi), a group of young immortal maidens were attacked
were intricately woven with renditions of the Chinese cosmic by a bear-like creature. However, they were swiftly rescued
order of sky, water and earth with its many representative by a pair of Azur Dragons (qinglong) who were engaged
symbols. The adaptation of the motif to a meiping, such as in the Daoist practice of ‘Cultivation and Transmutation
the present vase, is less frequent. A better known version (xiulian)’ in the waters of the lake. When the maidens
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of the design depicts not two but nine five-clawed dragons, told Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, what had
captured in varied poses amidst tumultuous rolling waves, happened, she rewarded the two dragons with a single pearl,
painted in underglaze copper-red on a blue and white the embodiment of spiritual essence and energy (also known
porcelain, as seen on a Yongzheng period (r. 1722-1735) as the qi) and the representation of wisdom and truth. The
meiping sold in these rooms, 7th May 2012, lot 579. The pearl was to help the dragons with their spiritual and physical
Yongzheng meiping possibly served as the blueprint for xiulian practice. Although there was only one pearl to share
later, Qianlong period (r. 1735-1796) examples, a number of between the two dragons, they did not fight or compete
which may be found in museums and private collections. See for it but went out of their way to make sure that the other
a Qianlong mark and period meiping with the nine dragon benefited from the miraculous powers of the pearl. Thus
design in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The the pearl, shining brightly, always floated rising and sinking
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: between the two dragons.
Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Shanghai,
2000, pl. 205; and another in the Royal Ontario Museum, The Jade Emperor (Yuwang Dadi) seeing the harmony
Toronto, is published in the T.T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese created between the Azur Dragons, and their efforts at
Art, Toronto, 1996, pl. 124. Another related blue and white cultivating themselves, was so impressed and moved
meiping in the collection of the Palace Museum, on which that he sent his minister, the Lord of the Great White Star
the nine dragons are painted in the arresting tone of iron-red (Taibaixing jun), with the gift of another pearl so that each
over the glaze, is published in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. dragon could have its own precious aid. The legend has
Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong an auspicious ending in which the two dragons eventually
Kong, 1989, pl. 8 (fig. 1). found the Way (Dao) and attained immortality. From then
on, they helped people, bringing rain in times of drought and
The accomplished use of the brush and masterful execution ensuring everyone was properly fed and clothed, and did
of every detail seen on the dragon figures, the attention not suffer any hardship. In gratitude and to show veneration,
paid to the their vivid facial expressions, their flowing people erected shrines to celebrate and make offerings to
mains and undulating scaly bodies, combined with the the dragons. Thus the dragons came to be honoured and
aesthetic richness of the background setting of clouds and worshipped, becoming one of the most auspicious symbols
waves, indicate aesthetic qualities associated with imperial in Chinese art. Bearing the above legend in mind, artisans
masterpieces made for the Qianlong Emperor. To fully working at the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen under the
appreciate the importance of this striking vase it is helpful tutelage of China’s most famous Superintendent Tang Ying
to understand the meaning and symbolism of its decoration. (1682-1756), combined two inspirational sources, the father
A large dragon in the company of a slender smaller dragon, educating his son and the two together in pursuit of all the
usually facing each other, in the Chinese decorative meritorious qualities represented by the pearl. The large
repertoire suggest an older and younger dragon, possibly dragon most likely represents the Qianlong emperor and the
father and son, as expressed in the proverb ‘canglong younger dragon his son, Prince Yongyan, the future Jiaqing
jiaozi’ which translates as ‘the old dragon teaches his son’. Emperor (r. 1796-1820).
For a detailed explanation of this motif see the essay on

64 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART