Page 63 - Importan Chinese Art Christie's May 2018

ABUNDANT NOBLE SONS
A RARE QIANLONG DOUCAI‘BOYS’ VASE

ROSEMARY SCOTT, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONSULTANT

This charming miniature hu-shaped vase is a beautifully fowers and gold, providing a pleasing contrast with the
painted example of the much-loved decorative theme of lively scene of children beneath. The depiction of children
children at play skilfully rendered in doucai technique. in Chinese art has its roots in Buddhist beliefs, infuenced
The decoration combines the lively depiction of boys by Daoism. However, by the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907)
at play in a garden with borders of intense cobalt blue images of young boys at play were no longer confned to
and gold, creating an almost jewel-like impression. The religious art and were already a popular secular theme on
vase takes its form from archaic bronze hu vessels of the Chinese decorative arts, being viewed as an auspicious
fattened pear-shape with tubular handles and a band symbol associated with the wish for sons and grandsons,
running around the neck of the vessel at the same height and thus the continuation of the family line as well as the
as the handles. While vessels of this form were frst seen prosperity of the family as a whole. Although the theme
in metal during the Bronze Age, the fascination with of groups of children at play does not seem to have been
antiques during the Song dynasty led to this shape being much employed in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) or in the
adopted for ceramic wares made for the Song imperial early Ming reign of the Hongwu emperor (1368-98), it does
court. Examples of hu vases with Guan ware glaze dating appear on rare, porcelain bowls of the Yongle reign (1403-
to the Southern Song dynasty can be found in a number 24). A bowl of this type is in the Tianminlou collection,
of international museums, including the National Palace decorated with sixteen boys playing in a garden, illustrated
Museum, Taipei - one of these is illustrated in Porcelain in Chinese Porcelain - The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection,
of the National Palace Museum - Kuan Ware of The Sung Hong Kong, 1987, p. 43, no. 15.
Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1962, p. 24, plate I. The Qianlong
The theme of boys playing in a garden really established
Emperor, for whom the current vase was made, was a
its popularity in the arts of the Chenghua reign, and a
keen antiquarian with an interest in both early bronzes
Chenghua blue and white bowl decorated with boys at
and the ceramics of the Song dynasty, and thus the
play was excavated from the late Chenghua stratum
shape of this vase would have appealed to him. The small
at Jingdezhen (illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua –
size of the vase is also in accordance with the Qianlong
Imperial Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated
Emperor’s fondness for miniature vessels. This interest
from Zhushan, Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 234, no.
can be seen in his many ‘treasure boxes’, which he flled
C73). A Chenghua doucai cup with boys at play was also
with small art objects of all kinds.
excavated from the late Chenghua stratum at Jingdezhen
The main decorative band on this vase depicts children and illustrated in A Legacy of Chenghua – Imperial
playing in a garden surrounded by bamboo, plantain, rocks Porcelain of the Chenghua Reign Excavated from Zhushan,
and fencing. The ruyi band around the lower part of the Jingdeezhen, op. cit., p. 268, no. C90. A pair of Chenghua
neck is interspersed with pendant jewels. These formal doucai cups decorated with boys at play preserved in the
devices are shown in deep cobalt blue and decorated with Palace Museum, Beijing, from the Qing Court Collection,

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