Page 244 - J. P Morgan Collection of Chinese Art and Porcelain

CASE XIX] THE MORGAN COLLECTION

yellow curtains, decorated with deep purple plum
blossoms and a pale red one with nebulae and lozenges
in deep red and gold, is seen between the girl musicians

and two others in green, pale green, yellow, and gold,

who follow with gold incense burners hanging from

rods; between these two, in the distance, is a peacock

with expanded tail of rich blue spotted with gold; next

comes a lady in yellow, red, and green robes, and blue

and gold peacock head-dress, followed by two maids,

in pale green, with black and gold head-gear, who

carry long-handled fans of red, blue, and gold. Last of

the procession are two girls in pale green, who are com-

ing through a gateway in a wall topped with yellow

tiles, one carrying a red cushion. The wall ends in a

green-tiled pagoda tricked with blue, with blue and red
swastika grills, and a window from which a lady in

bright blue and green, holding a gold fan, another in

green, and a man in rose, are looking forth. Large palms

and red chrysanthemums shooting from behind purple

and green rocks, with trees beyond, with bright red

flowers, intervene here; above are clouds traced in red,

among which is seen part of a green-tiled building,

trimmed with red and purplish blue, and a gold fire-

emblem at the peak.

Mark: A seal in a double blue ring, containing the char-

acter chih, meaning "by imperial order."

K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). Diameter 15 inches.

499. ROSE-BACKED PLATE, egg-shell porcelain.

The central circle has a ground of black Y-pattern un-

der light cobalt-blue enamel, with a hexagonal foliated
white reserve, outlined in purple and gold, showing a
lady in pale rose jacket, white skirt, and deep blue
scarf, standing in the foreground to the right, with a

black bird's wing in her right hand, looking down at a
long-tailed, black-spotted white cat standing upon a pale

yellow-green citron with deep green leaves. Beyond,

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