Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Alain.R.Truong
Alain.R.Truong
Publicité
Visiteurs
Depuis la création 50 863 684
Archives
Newsletter
Alain.R.Truong
23 septembre 2013

General’s Helmet Jar, China, Kangxi period (1662 – 1722), circa 1700

28

39

General’s Helmet Jar, China, Kangxi period (1662 – 1722), circa 1700. Photo courtesy Vanderven Oriental Art

Powder Blue Jar & Cover. Height : 62 cm. Price on request

Provenance: Jorge De Brito Collection, Portugal

In Chinese, this type of covered jar is referred to as a jiangjun guan (general or marshal jar), due to the resemblance of the cover with its finial to an army general’s helmet. This model, generally made in the civilian kilns, first appeared in Jiajing through the Wanli (1522-1620) reigns of the Ming Dynasty, and became particularly popular during the Kangxi period (1662-1722). 

Most general jars are decorated in blue-and-white or famille verte. Unusually, this jar is decorated all over with fine lined drawings in over-glaze gold on a powder blue ground. The main body has panels with two alternating subjects – flowers (plum and peony blossoms) and landscapes. The shape of the panels is a variant of guibei wen (tortoise shell pattern), with the upper part rendered like a lotus petal. The finial and the rim of the cover are decorated with thin bands of the xiangyun (auspicious cloud) pattern. The foot has a wider band with a qinglian (vine and lotus) pattern to imply virtues of officials: qingzheng lianjie (justice and integrity). 

Among the landscapes on the cover, is one with a traveling scholar (suggested by his walking stick) followed by a boy-servant carrying his master’s zither – qin. This instrument is considered embodiment of Chinese musical and intellectual culture. On the body of the jar, there are scenes of weiqi (chess) players, fishing, meditating, and farewell bidding; all subjects closely associated with an ideal scholars life. This idealization of country life stems from the work of the ancient recluse poet Tao Qian (365-427), in which he praises the merits of countryside pursuits.  

The other panels have floral arrangements with ornamental rocks (taihu shi -rocks from the Tai Lake), as well as ‘a hundred treasures’. In particular, there is a highly decorative basket filled with shoutao (longevity peaches) and decorated with the character shou (longevity) in cursive script; this shows the more secular side of the literati. In this way the motifs could suggest, the dilemma of the Chinese intellectuals: choosing between the ideal life closer to nature and the reality of life represented by everyday artifacts and thoughts.  

LiteratureMaria A Pinto de Matos Chinese Export Porcelain from the Museum Anatascio Gonçalves, Lisbon, London, 1996, pl.142 

Vanderven Oriental Art - http://www.vanderven-vanderven.com/

Publicité
Publicité
Commentaires
Publicité