Page 315 - J. P Morgan Collection of Chinese Art and Porcelain

OF CHINESE PORCELAINS [CASE XXXV

CASE XXXV

859. LARGE PLATE. A large circular dish, over

twenty-two inches in diameter, richly decorated with

polychrome enamels in the most recherche style of the

—K'ang-hsi epoch, and marked underneath with a seal

form of the character chih "by imperial order." The
theme of the main decoration is a familiar story in
Chinese history, which relates how the emperor was
so intensely interested in a game of chess {wei ch'i)

with one of his courtiers that he refused to be inter-

rupted for a moment, even to listen to the report of a

messenger from the commander-in-chief of the imperial
armies bringing tidings of imminent danger. The
scene is an imperial palace, with courtyards, gardens
and terraced pavilions. Through a round doorway
on the left the emperor is seen seated at a table playing

chess, while the envoy is kneeling and gesticulating

in the foreground outside the great gate of the palace.

The palace guards in front, the ladies of the court play-
ing bands of music in the courtyards or engaged in

various occupations in the upper stories of the pavil-

ions, and the rest make an animated scene, in the midst

of which the empress is approaching on the right to
remonstrate with her dilatory spouse, walking with dig-

nified mien, attended by two eunuchs, who hold cere-

monial fans over her head.

Mark: A square blue seal.

K'ang-hsi (1662-1722). Diameter 22>^ inches.

860,861. TWO TRIPLE-GOURD VASES. The

upper and lower sections are of mirror black; the lower
is decorated with intricate scroll-work of conventional
design which is relieved against a gold ground, support-
ing four circular reserves with vases of flowers and em-

blems. The middle section is of brilliant white with

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