Page 360 - Christies September 13 to 14th Fine Chinese Works of Art New York

THE PROPERTY OF MARCHANT, EST. 1925
1358
A FAMILLE VERTE ROULEAU VASE
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)
The sides are fnely decorated with a scene of
Guo Ziyi and his wife seated in front of a screen
surrounded by attendants, courtiers and children,
as he receives visitors on his birthday, all below a
diaper band on the shoulder and bamboo on the
neck. The base is inscribed with a three-character
mark, possibly reading Fenba zhi.
17¡ in. (44.2 cm.) high
$70,000-90,000

PROVENANCE
Private collection, France.
Sotheby’s Paris, 12 December 2013, lot 21.

The banquet scene depicted on this vase, known
as Guo Ziyi zhushou (celebrating Guo Ziyi’s
birthday) or da fugue yi shoukao (grand wealth,
rank, and longevity), conveys a very auspicious
message. The fgure depicted is the Tang dynasty
general Guo Ziyi (AD 697-781). General Guo
served four emperors during the Tang dynasty
(AD 618-907) and was instrumental in quelling
the An Shi Rebellion. It is recorded that on his
60th birthday, many family members and oficials
came to ofer their congratulations and covered
his bed with their scepters, which were a symbol
of oficialdom. Because Guo enjoyed a successful
career and long life, and his many sons and son-
in-laws were also successful court oficials, he
became the ultimate representative of a blessed
man bestowed with longevity, progeny and an
honorable career.
Porcelain celebrating famous episodes from the
lives of famous scholars, oficials and heroes
from China’s historical past became particularly
popular during the mid seventeenth century,
when the collapse of the Ming dynasty freed the
potters of Jingdezhen from imperial infuence,
and production was instead designed to appeal
to the literati class.
The success of this innovative style is clear
from its continuation into the Kangxi period,
when originality of design was complemented
by impeccable technique. This combination of
innovation and technique is particularly apparent
on the present vase, which is notable for its
extensive use of orange enamel, which adds a
freshness and vivacity to the famille verte palette.
A blue and white rouleau vase also depicting Guo
Ziyi’s birthday, in the collection of the Palace
Museum, Beijing, is illustrated by Chen Runmin
(ed.), Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghua Ci (Blue
and White Porcelain from the Shunzhi and Kangxi
Periods) Beijing, 2005, p. 455, no. 293. Compare,
also, a Kangxi famille verte rouleau vase of the
same subject matter, from the collection of The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, which
was sold at Christie’s New York, 15 September
2016, lot 877.
清康熙 五彩郭子儀祝壽圖棒槌瓶
(another view)
3 35858