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拍品專文
The story depicted on the present dish can be identified as Zhang Sheng Tiao Qiang (Zhang Sheng scaling a wall), a scene from the renowned Yuan-dynasty drama Romance of the Western Chamber, written by Wang Shifu. The play unfolds a tale of "love at first sight" between Zhang Sheng, an aspiring scholar, and Cui Yingying, the daughter of a wealthy chief minister of the Tang court. Faced with significant disparities in their financial and social backgrounds, the lovers endure considerable hardships to be together. Their story has long stood as an epitome of challenging feudal norms and advocating for freedom of marriage in ancient China.
In this particular scene, Zhang Sheng is en route to his romantic encounter with Cui Yingying, aided by Hong Niang, Cui’s handmaiden, as he navigates over the light-pink wall. The stark contrast between Zhang’s eager anticipation for the rendezvous and his awkwardness while scaling the wall often lends a comedic touch to the scene. Notably, there has been ongoing debate among literary critics regarding the interpretation of this scene, especially concerning the reasons prompting Zhang to climb the wall. Entering the chamber of a lady, particularly one with a traditional upbringing in a wealthy family, in such an abrupt manner is considered highly offensive. In the original novel, Cui conveyed the time and location of their rendezvous to Zhang through an encrypted love poem. The polysemes used in this poem might have contributed to the misunderstanding between the two.
The story of Zhang Sheng Tiao Chang has enjoyed popularity among Chinese literati, with the play accompanied by illustrated woodblock prints widely accessible. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jingdezhen artisans have translated this scene onto porcelain. A dish depicting the same scene was sold at Christie’s London, 27 October 2015, lot 34; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 6 September 2007, lot 1592.
In this particular scene, Zhang Sheng is en route to his romantic encounter with Cui Yingying, aided by Hong Niang, Cui’s handmaiden, as he navigates over the light-pink wall. The stark contrast between Zhang’s eager anticipation for the rendezvous and his awkwardness while scaling the wall often lends a comedic touch to the scene. Notably, there has been ongoing debate among literary critics regarding the interpretation of this scene, especially concerning the reasons prompting Zhang to climb the wall. Entering the chamber of a lady, particularly one with a traditional upbringing in a wealthy family, in such an abrupt manner is considered highly offensive. In the original novel, Cui conveyed the time and location of their rendezvous to Zhang through an encrypted love poem. The polysemes used in this poem might have contributed to the misunderstanding between the two.
The story of Zhang Sheng Tiao Chang has enjoyed popularity among Chinese literati, with the play accompanied by illustrated woodblock prints widely accessible. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jingdezhen artisans have translated this scene onto porcelain. A dish depicting the same scene was sold at Christie’s London, 27 October 2015, lot 34; and another was sold at Christie’s London, 6 September 2007, lot 1592.