Lot 64 A Chinese blue and white 'Xi Xiang Ji' shallow bowl

A Chinese blue and white 'Xi Xiang Ji' shallow bowl

Kangxi mark and of the period

未知

€ 6.000 – € 12.000

O: H. 4,9 cm, Diam. 18,9 cm

未知

A shallow bowl, finely painted in vibrant tones of underglaze cobalt blue with a mountainous landscape depicting Scholar Zhang Sheng on horseback, accompanied by his pageboy, on his journey to sit for the civil-service examinations. The figures are set within a tranquil landscape of trees, rocky outcrops, and a distant pavilion. The exterior is left undecorated, while the recessed base bears a boldly written six-character Kangxi mark in underglaze blue.
The scene depicts Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to the capital to sit for the civil-service examinations (Zhang Sheng Gan Kao, 張生趕考). Zhang Junrui (張君瑞), also known as Zhang Sheng (張生), is the male protagonist of the famous Yuan dynasty play 'Romance of the Western Chamber' (Xi Xiang Ji, 西廂記). In the second act, he sets out on horseback with his pageboy towards the capital, a scene here identified as his arrival at Pudong, on the western bank of the Yellow River, in Hezhong Prefecture (Zhang Sheng Zhi Pudong, 張生至蒲東).
碗呈淺弧形，內壁以鮮麗青花繪山水人物圖。畫中張生騎馬赴京趕考，書僮隨行，二人行於林木、山石與遠亭相間的幽靜山水之中。外壁光素，底部內凹，書青花「大清康熙年製」六字款。
此圖描繪「張生趕考」故事。張君瑞，又稱張生，為元代王實甫雜劇《西廂記》的男主人公。劇中張生與書僮騎馬前往京城應試，此處所繪或為其抵達河中府黃河西岸蒲東之情景，即「張生至蒲東」。
Provenance:
Marchant, London, with their label to the reverse.
A Scottish private collection.
Rob Michiels Auctions, Bruges, 27 April 2019, lot 395. (sold EUR 6.500,00) (link)
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above.