Lot 39 A Chinese blue and white 'Gallopping Flying Horses' bowl and cover

A Chinese blue and white 'Gallopping Flying Horses' bowl and cover

Wanli

未知

€ 2.000 – € 4.000

OH: H. 12,9 cm, Diam. 13,3 cm (incl. cover)

未知

A covered bowl decorated in underglaze cobalt blue, the glaze slightly matt in appearance, possibly indicating that the piece may have originated from a shipwreck cargo. The decoration depicts eight galloping flying horses, richly surrounded by curling waves, with four horses on the bowl and four on the cover. The cover is surmounted by a moulded finial in the form of a rosette. The cover has a slightly thickened rim and an unglazed inner edge, which fits onto the corresponding unglazed rim of the bowl.
The horse is one of the twelve zodiac animals and an auspicious symbol in Chinese art, representing vitality, ambition, success, and advancement. A group of eight horses among curling waves may allude to the Eight Steeds of King Mu of Zhou, an auspicious subject symbolising imperial authority, ambition, and success. The dynamic movement of the horses further conveys ideas of vitality, progress, and the overcoming of obstacles.
蓋碗通體以釉下青花裝飾，釉面略顯失光。碗身與蓋面共繪八匹奔騰天馬，其中碗身、蓋面各四匹，穿行於翻卷海浪之間，姿態矯健。蓋頂置模印花朵形鈕，蓋沿略厚，內緣露胎，與碗口相應的露胎部位緊密扣合。
馬為十二生肖之一，在中國傳統藝術中象徵活力、進取、功名與成功。八匹天馬奔騰於海浪之間，或使人聯想到周穆王 ‘八駿’ 的傳說，寓意權威、抱負與功業有成。群馬動勢強烈，亦寄託勇往直前、克服阻礙及前程順遂之意。
Provenance:
Marc Michot, Bruges, with their label to the base.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 2013, according to the owner's inventory notes.