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Lot Essay
In style, decoration and quality, this pair of vases can be attributed to the celebrated Republic period porcelain artist, Wang Bu (1898-1968). Born in Fengcheng County, Jiangxi Province, Wang Bu, also known by his hao, or sobriquet, Zhuxi, studied under the famed porcelain artist Wu Aisheng (1886-1926), and was much influenced by the expressionist, xieyi, style of his older contemporary Wang Qi (1884-1937).
A blue and white vase (meiping) of smaller size (17 cm. high), with similar decoration of a pair of birds resting in gnarled tree branches, was sold at Bonhams San Francisco, 23 June 2015, lot 7258. This vase was inscribed with a seal to one side reading Wang Bu and a seal on the base reading yuanwen wuguo zhizhai (Studio of Recognizing My Mistakes). Another blue and white meiping, but of larger size (24.8 cm.), decorated with very similarly rendered birds as those on the current pair of vases, also shown perched in gnarled branches with delicately trailing vines, was sold at Christie’s London, 10 May 2011, lot 280. Similar depictions of birds in gnarled branches can be seen on a pair of blue and white cong-form vases from the Rende Zhai Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2011, lot 1643, which had additional scenes of sages in landscapes. See, also, the pair of blue and white seal-paste boxes and covers from the collection of Stephen Junkunc, III, attributed to Wang Bu and painted with scenes of birds, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 12 September 2018, lot 119.
A blue and white vase (meiping) of smaller size (17 cm. high), with similar decoration of a pair of birds resting in gnarled tree branches, was sold at Bonhams San Francisco, 23 June 2015, lot 7258. This vase was inscribed with a seal to one side reading Wang Bu and a seal on the base reading yuanwen wuguo zhizhai (Studio of Recognizing My Mistakes). Another blue and white meiping, but of larger size (24.8 cm.), decorated with very similarly rendered birds as those on the current pair of vases, also shown perched in gnarled branches with delicately trailing vines, was sold at Christie’s London, 10 May 2011, lot 280. Similar depictions of birds in gnarled branches can be seen on a pair of blue and white cong-form vases from the Rende Zhai Collection, sold at Christie’s New York, 16 September 2011, lot 1643, which had additional scenes of sages in landscapes. See, also, the pair of blue and white seal-paste boxes and covers from the collection of Stephen Junkunc, III, attributed to Wang Bu and painted with scenes of birds, sold at Sotheby’s New York, 12 September 2018, lot 119.