Lot 54 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. 12,4 cm, W. 10,5 cm, Diam. 10,4 cm

未知

A cylindrical brushpot with a gently flaring mouth rim and foot, finely decorated in underglaze cobalt blue. The exterior is painted with a scene from the Romance of the Western Chamber (Xixiang Ji 西廂記). It depicts the scholar Zhang Sheng holding a fan, facing Cui Yingying, who gracefully raises her hand to her mouth. Standing a short distance away is Hongniang, the devoted maidservant whose clever interventions bring the two lovers together.
The Romance of the Western Chamber, first written during the Yuan dynasty by Wang Shifu, is one of the most celebrated love stories in Chinese literature. It tells the tale of the secret romance between the scholar Zhang Sheng and the young noblewoman Cui Yingying, whose union is ultimately made possible through the ingenuity of Yingying's maid, Hongniang. The story became immensely popular in Chinese painting, woodblock prints, and porcelain decoration during the late Ming and Qing dynasties.
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。畫中書生張生手持摺扇，與崔鶯鶯相對而立，鶯鶯姿態含蓄，以手輕掩唇邊。不遠處立侍女紅娘，正是由其從中巧妙周旋，最終促成二人姻緣。
《西廂記》為元代王實甫創作的著名雜劇，講述書生張生與相國小姐崔鶯鶯突破禮教束縛、私訂終身的愛情故事，而聰慧機敏的侍女紅娘則是促成二人結合的關鍵人物。此故事自明末以來廣受歡迎，常見於繪畫、版畫及瓷器裝飾之中。
Provenance:
Marc Michot, Bruges.
The Mr. and Mrs. Baert-Devos Collection, Belgium. Acquired from the above in 1983 and accompanied by a copy of their certificate of authenticity. (see added scan)