A pair of blue and white bowls, Qing dynasty, Kangxi (1662-1722).
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Vibrant blue and white bowls that are of deep form and thinly potted. Each is painted on the exterior with two panels with scenes taken from “Xi Xiang Ji”. The interior is painted with three boys at play by a rocky ledge with a building in the distance. There is a six character Jiajing mark to the base of each bowl. Diameter: 15.5 cm.
Restored fritts. Small rimcrack.
Provenance
The Avalon Collection.
This collection, which in the main focuses on the Interregnum and Kangxi periods has been both carefully and sensitively formed over the last twenty-five years. The collector, a member of the English Oriental Ceramic Society, has assembled the collection with an eye for provenance whilst purchasing from old European collections, well-established antique dealers and at auction.
Academically, the pieces have been well researched both in terms of their symbolism and narrative themes. In many instances the imagery on the pieces has been referenced to episodes in the romantic and historic novels of Chinese mythology, which were used extensively in the decoration of seventeenth century Chinese porcelain.
Purchased from Geoffrey Waters Antique Chinese Porcelain, London, October 2003.
Literature
Because the story of “The Western Chamber” was so popular in China, the most important scenes became conventionalised images and were easily recognised by the general public. Woodblock illustrations in many editions also concentrated on core scenes, thus creating a number that were widely used by painters. For this reason there are many examples of porcelain with scenes from “The Western Chamber”.
More information
The three scenes on the two bowls – one scene is common to both – are taken from Books I - 111 of “The Romance of the Western Chamber” – “ Xi Xiang Ji”.
In the first scene Zhang Gong encounters the beautiful Cui Yingying who is staying at the monastery outside the wall of the city of Puzhou. Here he can be seen reciting a poem.
In the second scene, which is taken from Book II, Zhang has given the fighting monk Huiming – who can be seen with a stick – a letter asking General Du Que for help against the rebellious troops of Sun Biao – who threatens an attack against the monastery unless Cui Yingying is pledged to him.
In the third scene – which is common to both bowls – Huiming and the fighting forces of General Du Que chase away Sun Biao and his forces.