Lot 55 A Chinese blue and white 'Xi Xiang Ji' brushpot (Bitong)

A Chinese blue and white 'Xi Xiang Ji' brushpot (Bitong)

Kangxi

未知

€ 6.000 – € 12.000

OH: H. 12,5 cm, Diam. 10,7 cm

未知

A cylindrical brushpot with a gently flaring mouth rim and foot, finely decorated in underglaze cobalt blue with a scene from The Romance of the Western Chamber (Xixiang Ji 西廂記). The scene depicts the scholar Zhang Sheng being guided by an abbot carrying a fly-whisk. They encounter the young noblewoman Cui Yingying, who is strolling with her maid Hongniang in a garden setting. Yingying gracefully raises her fan to partially conceal her face, while Zhang Sheng is immediately captivated by her beauty, marking the beginning of their celebrated love story.
Until relatively recently, many narrative scenes on Chinese porcelain remained unidentified in the West, and the stories and symbolism they conveyed were often overlooked. In recent decades, however, increasing scholarly research has led to the identification of numerous literary and theatrical subjects, allowing these decorations to be understood within their original cultural context. Scenes from the Xixiang Ji, for example, are discussed by Christiaan Jörg in Famille Verte: Chinese Porcelain in Green Enamels, illustrating the growing appreciation of the literary sources that inspired Chinese porcelain decoration.
筆筒呈圓筒形，口沿及足部微撇，外壁以青花繪《西廂記》人物故事圖。畫中一位手持拂塵的長老引領書生張生前行，途中遇見正在庭園中與侍女紅娘散步的相國小姐崔鶯鶯。鶯鶯舉扇半掩面容，姿態含蓄優雅，張生則為其美貌所吸引。此幕描繪二人初次相遇，亦為這段著名愛情故事的開端。
過往西方學界對中國瓷器上的許多人物故事紋飾未能確切辨識，其所承載的文學典故與象徵意涵亦常被忽略。近數十年來，隨着相關研究逐步深入，眾多取材自文學及戲曲的裝飾題材得以重新辨認，並置於原有的文化語境中加以解讀。例如，Christiaan Jörg 在《Famille Verte: Chinese Porcelain in Green Enamels》中即曾討論《西廂記》人物圖，反映學界對中國瓷器紋飾之文學來源日益重視。
Provenance:
Marc Michot, Bruges.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 1983 and accompanied by their certificate of authenticity. (see added scan)