Anita Gray
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • About
  • Objects
  • Archive
  • Articles
  • Catalogues
  • Information
  • Contact
  • EN
  • 简体

MING AND TRANSITIONAL

Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: A RARE & LARGE CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE DISH, Shunzhi (1644-1661)
A RARE & LARGE CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE DISH, Shunzhi (1644-1661)
Diameter: 33 cm; 13 inches

AW32
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cem%3EA%20RARE%20%26%20LARGE%20CHINESE%20BLUE%20AND%20WHITE%20DISH%3C/em%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3EShunzhi%20%20%281644-1661%29%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3EDiameter%3A%2033%20cm%3B%2013%20inches%09%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3Cbr/%3E%0AAW32%3C/div%3E
Of saucer shape, centrally painted in underglaze blue with a two line poem accompanying a scene of a man, seen in profile, dressed in long robes, holding an open fan...
Read more

Of saucer shape, centrally painted in underglaze blue with a two line poem accompanying a scene of a man, seen in profile, dressed in long robes, holding an open fan in one hand and his other hand stretched above his head, his mouth open in a wide grin, facing a lady, beautifully painted, dressed in a long over-garment of a patterned fabric over her long robe, her arms folded out to each side, her long sleeves completely covering her hands, she stands in front of a building with a pagoda roof, its door slightly ajar and from behind the door another lady peers her head around to watch as the scene unfolds, in the foreground stylised rockwork and a wall painted with a smouldering dragon amongst clouds and the sun/moon, the top of the wall adorned with a border of pagoda like gables, to the side of the lady a pine tree grows, its gnarly trunk well delineated, behind the building another tree, to the left and in the background further large stylised rockwork from behind which issues grass, the back glazed and painted with the four character mark inside double blue lines.

Close full details

Literature

The poem on the dish is from the famous Yuan Dynasty romance Xixiang ji, Romance of the West Chamber. The original line is 'qie jiang ya shan qi liang yi, quan zuo you yun ti yu xin'. On the dish, the third character is changed from (ya) to (yan).

 

The poem translates roughly as:-

 

Let me put aside my intention to bully the kind,

And focus on winning over the heart of the beauty.

 

For examples of similar dishes refer to Julia Curtis, Chinese Porcelains of the 17th Century, 1995 no.48; and Sir Michael Butler, OCS Translations, 1983-84, page 60, fig. 41.

 

Also see for a paper read by Mr Craig Clunas - The West Chamber: A Literary theme in Chinese Porcelain Decoration in the Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 1981 - 1982, p 69 and onwards.

Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email
Previous
|
Next
37 
of 72
Copyright © 2025 Anita Gray
Manage cookies
Site by Artlogic

Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Join the mailing list
Send an email
View on Google Maps

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences