KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)

The scene on the present dish represents that of Yang Liulang jiu jia (Yang Liulang came to the rescue) from a chapter of the Wanli-period (1573-1620) classic, Legend of Warriors of the Yang Family. Yang Liulang is the most valiant and strategic warrior in the novel, winning countless battles throughout his military career. The two ladies standing at the center of the wall appear to be Yang Liulang’s mother, Yu Taijun, and his wife, Chai Jinhua. They are welcoming the triumphant return of Yang Liulang on horseback after he successfully rescued the Emperor from the battlefield.

Legend of Warriors of the Yang Family is loosely based on Song-dynasty (AD 960-1279) stories that celebrate their battles against the Khitans of the Liao and the Tanguts of the Xi Xia, and the ultimate loyalty of generations of the Yang family to the Song emperors. The novel gained increasing popularity through its adaption in Wu opera, a form of Chinese opera originating in Jinhua county, Zhejiang province. Jinhua county is located at the nexus of the domestic trade in Southern and Eastern China. Given the close geographical proximity to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province, it is not surprising that Wu opera became prevalent in the culture of the artisans in Jingdezhen. Therefore, scenes and stories from Wu opera, especially ones from the Legend of Warriors of the Yang Family, were often portrayed on the finest porcelains of the Ming and Qing dynasties. A Kangxi-period famille verte dish depicting the female warriors of the Yang family, formerly in the collection of the prominent industrialist Highfield Jones (1829-1903), was sold at Bonhams London, 12 May 2022, lot 169. Another Kangxi-period dish, decorated in verte-imari, depicting a similar scene, was sold at Christie’s London, 3 November 2020, lot 189.