Page 209 - Christie's Important Chinese Art Nov 3 2020 London
P. 209
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A LARGE FAMILLE ROSE LIME-GREEN-
GROUND 'HUNDRED BOYS' VASE
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
The vase is decorated in bright enamels with
a continuous scene of the 'Hundred Boys'
celebrating the Sping Festival in extensive lakeside
gardens with pavilions, pine trees and rocks, and
mountains in the distance. The animated scene
includes children performing a dragon dance,
blowing trumpets, banging cymbals, playing with
animal puppets, carrying lanterns and lighting
fire-crackers. The neck is applied with twin
stylised dragon handles and is decorated with
lotus sprays, bats and fish on a lime-green ground.
Further decorative bands embellish the mouth rim,
shoulders and base and the interior is enamelled
turquoise.
28 3/4 in. (73 cm.) high
£15,000-20,000 US$20,000-26,000
€17,000-22,000
The festive nature of the 'Hundred Boys'
design brings an energy and animation to the
composition of this vase. The subject of boys, or
of children, was very popular in the decorative
arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Traditionally,
they represent the wish for abundant offspring, or
in particular, sons, and wealth.
清 綠地粉彩百子嬰戲圖螭龍耳瓶
207