A famille rose vase, Qing dynasty (1644-1912), with Qianlong mark.

Purchased at Sarl Wemaere - de Beaupuis Encheres, Rouen, France, November 2010, Lot 306.

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.

The vase depicts the story of the Song military general Yue Fei, with his mother tattooing his back with four characters of ‘Jing Zhang Bao Guo” meaning “ serve the country with unreserved loyalty”. The common legend of Yue receiving the tattoo from his mother first appeared in “ Shuo Yue Quanzhuan”.

Yue Fei is one of China’s most celebrated generals. Born during the warring period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1103- 1142) he was known not only for his military success but also for his high ethical standards. Although he was accused of treason and subsequently executed in January 1142 he was exonerated in 1126 by a new Song emperor and has remained a national hero. The temple in Hangzhou dedicated to him remains a popular tourist attraction.