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PROPERTY OF A NEW JERSEY PRIVATE COLLECTOR referring to the grades in the imperial examinations. Another
grasps a rod suspending a chime, the character of which
A FINE FAMILLE-ROSE ‘BOYS AT PLAY’ sounds similar to that for ‘celebration’. The boy holding a vase
BOTTLE VASE (ping) with stalks of lotus (he) represents the rebus heping
JIAQING SEAL MARK AND PERIOD (‘peace and harmony’). One boy holds an instrument called a
sheng, whose name is a pun on the word ‘ascend’, in one hand,
the ovoid body supported on a slightly ared foot and rising and an osmanthus sprig in the other to symbolise the wish for
to a tall waisted neck, brightly enameled around the body literary ascendancy. Another clutches a gold ingot and a brush,
with a continuous scene of nine boys at play, each holding representing the wish that literary success will bring wealth,
auspicious objects, in an elegant garden with ornamental rocks and nally one boy holds a peony, which represents wealth
and owering plants, all set between ruyi-bands, the belly, and honour. Furthermore, the number nine is also notable as
shoulder, and neck enlivened with scrolling lotus, persimmons, the character jiu is synonymous with the character for ‘long
and sanduo against a lime-green ground, the rim gilt, the foot lasting’, hence making it a perfect symbol of eternity.
encircled by a pink-enameled keyfret band, the interior and
base enameled turquoise, the base with a six-character iron- Compare an ovoid vase depicting a similar scene of nine boys
red seal mark within a white cartouche at play between lime-green borders, sold in these rooms,
Height 12¼ in., 31.2 cm 19th-20th March 2013, lot 226; and another sold in our Hong
Kong rooms, 16th May 1977, lot 225. A vase of this form and
PROVENANCE colour scheme, but depicting a lively ‘Hundred Boys’ scene,
sold at Christie’s South Kensington, 17th May 2013, lot 1504;
Christie’s New York, 4th May 1978, lot 279. another, but between turquoise bands, sold at Bonhams Hong
Kong, 27th November 2014, lot 187.
The depiction of numerous boys at play in a garden,
representing the wish for many sons, was a popular theme in The motif of boys at play is also seen on earlier Qianlong
the decorative arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The style period wares, compare a lantern-shape vase with the bajixiang
of the present vase was pioneered during the Qianlong period painted on green enamel bands, illustrated in Qing Imperial
to resemble paintings mounted between textile borders. Such Porcelain of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Reigns,
vases are considered to have been produced at the imperial Nanjing, 1995, pl. 87; and another, but between lotus blooms
kilns at Jingdezhen during the early years of the Jiaqing enamelled on ruby-red borders, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong,
Emperor’s reign. 29th-30th October, 1995, lot 756, and again in these rooms,
17th March 2009, lot 123.
On the present vase, each of the nine boys holds an object
potent with auspicious symbolism. One of the boys holds a ruyi $ 60,000-80,000
scepter. The word ruyi means ‘as you desire’ and represents
the wish for all your desires to come true. One boy holds a
spear, called a ji, in Chinese, which is a homophone for ‘grade’,
1978 5 4 279
48 SOTHEBY’S
