A VERY RARE AND FINELY ENAMELED IMPERIAL FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN BOTTLE

JINGDEZHEN IMPERIAL KILNS, JIAQING FOUR-CHARACTER MARK IN IRON RED AND OF THE PERIOD

Details

A VERY RARE AND FINELY ENAMELED IMPERIAL FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN BOTTLE
Jingdezhen Imperial Kilns, Jiaqing four-character mark in iron red and of the period
Of tall, flattened, high-shouldered tapering form, finely enameled with a continuous scene of Niulang the Herdboy riding a buffalo towards Zhinu the Spinning Maid and her attendant standing near a pavilion, the celestial figures hovering on clouds supported by flying magpies above the crashing waves of the Milky Way, all between gilt and underglaze-blue lappet and ruyi borders, the waisted neck decorated with a floral scroll, stopper
3 1/8in. (7.9cm.) high

Provenance

Brian T. Lyons Collection.
Sotheby's, London, 20 April 1982, lot 83.

Literature

Arts of Asia, July-August 1982, p. 133.

Exhibited

Chinese Snuff Bottles, Taipei Gallery, New York, October 1993, p. 13.

Lot Essay

The present bottle belongs to the same group as Lot 71. The subject is the celestial love story of Niulang the Herdboy and Zhinu the Spinning Maid, who represent the stars Vega and Altair in the heavens. The two sweethearts married and were so infatuated with each other that they neglected their duties. The Queen of Heaven became angry and with a bold stroke of her silver hairpin, drew a line across the sky which became the Milky Way, and the Herdboy and Spinning Maid were separated from each other. Their anguish was so great that the King of Heaven took pity and granted them a visit one night each year. On the seventh night of the seventh month, magpies fly together to form a bridge for the lovers to cross.

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