Page 61 - Nov. 27 2019 Christie's Hong Kong Desk Objects

fig. 2 Image No. OM-1974-1122. Source: National Museums of fig. 3 © RMN-Grand Palais (MNAAG, Paris) / Mathieu Rabeau
World Culture – Mediterranean Museum, Sweden. எӲ ᯧஇम⧻ࢷ⁒㱦⻦৅
எՀ ⇧ݱᙱᇪড়‰ᕳ㙭ែࢷ⁒㱦⻦৅

favoured subjects. The waterpot formed by a cluster of chestnuts is a Ƕ໺⯞⥂㊗Ƿ㖊厍Ǹ㪀㙭႙߰೭ǮៀǮ≡Ǯ⏁卿Ꮫᯧ
unique piece amongst his works. It is inscribed in ‘single-stroke’ style ஙᇍ卻ᇍ೥ヹ卼ᮨ卻ᮨ೥Ⱞ卼Ԡ㧿卿⩧Ꮢ߰᪪㍃卿ᝧ
with the inscription ‘xi zuo shanzhong wu; jin wei xishang zhen, Hecun’
ᯧ㪿ڟģģǯǹ㪀㺩㙭ה৅⎏ᝧᯧ㠺ᙔங⩠㌴ӳཝݯ
(previously a thing in the wild; now a delicacy on the table. Hecun).
㞒㇝卿Ꮢ㇦ᝳ㫐߉ߴ᪪ࣿ੷߉༵᪪ݦ♎卿ڮ‰Ԯᝳ㉼
Inscriptions ending with the signature Hecun (sobriquet of Chen
ओ᫈ᙔս㫐߉⠢ߴ卿⩧⧤लߺ੷߉ᝧ༵ǯ⣌⩠㌴սᄮ
Mingyuan) are fairly rare. The style appears quite spontaneous, but
the characters are still written within calligraphic conventions, with ᾭᛞឆ㞖⒢ᝧᯧ།ᝨᄺ㍯⎏ᝧ㵲卿ᝬἃ༏ᚿ㗦㍃ǯ㏋
rhythmic stops and an effortless composition of spatial arrangement. ᭄Ⅷ⻦ԋ卿ᝳݦ։ݰᝳ㠺ᙔ᪪㍃⎏㪀㺩㙭ה৅卿ἃᎱ
Although Mr. Huang Chien-liang thinks that ‘single-stroke’ inscriptions ٛᓽ؊Իᝤഅ⎏㦷㐃ݤ༏ǯ
are likely to be Chen Mingyuan’s own writings, from their form and
style, I am more inclined to the idea that they are written by Cao ໺⯞⏇⊄័ᡀ卿Ꮢս㪀㺩㙭Ԯഅइ᫉ἃ㯪ឬ卿սᄃ㯤
Lianrang. Below the signature is a single-character seal ‘Yuan’, another ᡀຽ⢑भᎰ᭢⎶卿᫉הἃ⏖߿ۣ㇦ǯ଍㕇ս੷߉ᝧ༵
commonly-seen seal used on Chen Mingyuan’s works, and can be
㠺ᙔ厍Ǹᛀהྒྷԋ⁒卿իἃ჈ӳⅧǯ㽁ឭǯǹⶔ᪪㽁
compared to the sealmarks on other authentic works by him. This
ឭ⩢卿㖅ἃཐ㇦ǯ㠺ᙔ⎏ᝧ༵⏭ַ㪪ዪ卿὞⩧ໃᆨᯧ
seal is the same one used on the whelk-form waterpot in the Musée
Giumet, Paris (fig. 3). There is an accompanying single chestnut with a ᄟ⃫ங卿㙛✖㯀ᑺᝳ⯎卿⢙㵲⽗༰⯇὞ǯ㿩ڟՙݎ⊂
‘Hecun’ sealmark. Although this sealmark is previously unrecorded, its ㊘ἃ㘺♎੷߉༵᪪Ꮅᛓ㪀㺩㙭⯇ᝧ⯇ߴ卿ֿᛓ✖⩢㊘
seal-script style differs from those that are made in the Republic period. ἃ卿ᇖໃᆨࣿ᭔㮫ӳ׹⏭卿߅⯇ᝨ᭄Ꮫ✖⎏ज⬒ሻᝤ
Furthermore, the potting style is consistent with the chestnut washer, ഌǯ⧤लӴᙹ㟊Ӭ੷ໃࣇǸ㙭ǹ卿Ԯᛓ㺩㙭჎⊇ࣇ卿
and is undoubtedly an authentic work.
ज⯝ݯձ⏻㒝⏟Մࣇ㌴卿᫉։⯝ᯧஇम⧻ࢷ⁒㱦⻦㪀
The basket-shaped waterpot, although a very rare example amongst 㺩㙭⊏に᭢⎶⏟ऱࣇ᪪卻ॲ˖卼ǯऔӬ៦੷㯤⎏័ᡀ
Chen Mingyuan’s works, is a subject that is very common in rural 㟊Ǹ㽁㚧ǹࣇ᪪卿᫉ࣇ᪪㫍ἃ㲛㇦卿࣐⯝ᭆஇ֎৅⎏
villages. One of Jin Zhang’s poems describes the creative process of
❨ᯧӶऱ卿ӻ㪃⻱㰍ᡟ⯝័ᡀ᭢⎶ൈ߅Ӭ㗂卿⏻৅Ὅ
Chen Mingyuan: ‘when seeing a persimmon red, one is made with
⋕ǯ
nearby cinnabar clay (at the time, he had some spare red clay; and a boy
walked by with a big red persimmon, so he made one on the spot).’
✎⟨ᆨ᭢⎶ங㪀㺩㙭ה৅ԋᥑἃ⧎㇦卿࣐Ԯᛓݯ㛮㧿
His art is often on subjects close to him, and his works are made with
⨶㇦Ԡ⁒卿ᄮᾭ㉼՞㞖ᆌᝳӬ㲛ᓼ㘚ݯࠛהካᜀ⎏㉼
spontaneity. This waterpot is in the form of a woven bamboo basket.
ओ厍Ǹڮ‰ᑨᠴ⡚卿୬ߧལக㐽ǯ卻ᛞࠑប⒬᯵卿ཎ
The body material contains particles of red, white, yellow and brown
colours, typical of clay harvested in the early Qing period. The potting ⛐ᘁӬഌᠴ卿㙖ᖂԠ卼ǹ卿ज㇦㺩㙭ޘ㪃卿⣌჎ལ஠
style is relaxed and unconstrained, full of vigour and confidence. इឬ卿㪪ዪ⊂㶂ǯ᫉᭢⎶ה✎⟨ᆨ卿᯵ᙠஙᘞഌ㥚Ӵ
After handling many of Chen’s works, it is clear that he placed great ज㇦⡚Ǯ⎊Ǯ㿩Ǯㆁपⰰ㯤⠄卿ἃݱ௛᳖ߝᛞឆ⎏᯵
emphasis on the user’s experience when holding and using his works.
▂⁞ᇨǯஙㅳהᐃ⻱ᙹ㬷卿㖔㶖⩧Ӷᑈ㌥卿㱇ᶕഌ᭔ǯ
This is something an imitator often overlooks. The washer is inscribed:
،✖⩢ٖ՞⎏⣌㴾׹㊯卿㪀㺩㙭⎏ה৅㬳჎᯷㞒ײ⊇
‘made in Yuanzhentang by Mingyuan’. Further research is needed to
ࣿᐍ⅊ᛞ⎏Ꮫዷ卿㘺Ԯᛓᇁᇁἃהڱ⩢Ꮢሜ㇬⎏Ӭ
determine where and who Yuanzhentang relates to. The inscription
is written in the typical style of Cao Lianrang’s calligraphy, elegant, 㿽ǯ଍㕇ߴǸ㺩㙭ㅳᙻ݉㏌లǹ卿݉㏌లἃ׍՞厒ᇅ
timeless and delightful. ⩠卿⩧㠺ᙔԛݱ௛ᝨᄺ㍯ᝧ㰍卿㪿ڟ㫅᭦卿ٿᇑⅧ⅊ǯ

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