Lot 3113. An exceptionally rare blue and white 'Boys' bowl, Chenghua period (1465-1487), 8 1/2 in. (21.5 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 7,000,000 - HKD 10,000,000. Price realised HKD 9,640,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2013 

The bowl is of deep, rounded form, skilfully painted in soft tones of underglaze cobalt blue with a continuous scene of boys playing in a balustrade garden beneath scrolling clouds. A double line encircles the mouth, while a keyfret band encircles the foot.

Provenance: A.D. Brankston (1909-1941)
H.R.N. Norton, London, 1953
Raymond F.A. Riesco Collection, no. 220m.

Literature: London Borough of Croydon, Riesco Collection of Chinese Ceramics Handlist, Croydon, 1987, p. 11, no. 93 

Exhibited: Oriental Ceramic Society, Loan Exhibition of Chinese Blue and White Porcelain 14th to 19th Centuries, London, 16 December 1953-23 January 1954, Catalogue, no. 118  

 Auspicious Wishes for Sons and Grandsons
Rosemary Scott - International Academic Director, Asian Art

The depiction of children in Chinese art has its roots in Buddhist beliefs, influenced by Daoism. However, by the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) images of healthy young boys at play were no longer confined to religious art and were already a popular secular theme on the Chinese decorative arts, being viewed as an auspicious symbol associated with the wish for sons and grandsons, and thus the continuation of the family line as well as the prosperity of the family. Boys at play, especially carrying lotus flowers or leaves can be seen painted on late 8th-early 9th century stonewares from the Changsha kilns, such as the 9th century ewer excavated at Changsha, Hunan in 1983.1 Little boys playing in a garden can also be seen in repousee work within ruyi-shaped cartouches on a small Tang dynasty silver three-legged jar excavated in Jiangsu province.2 The depiction of young boys at play became even more popular on the ceramics of the Song and Jin dynasties (AD 960-1279, and AD 1115-1234, respectively), when particularly lively examples were painted on the upper surfaces of Cizhou pillows. These pillows were, however, usually decorated with only one child at play, as in the case of the example in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York, on which is painted a small boy riding a hobby horse made of bamboo.3

The theme of groups of children at play does not seem to have been much employed in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) or in the early Ming in the reign of the Hongwu emperor (1368-98), but appears on rare, wide, porcelain bowls of the Yongle reign (1403-24), such as that in the Tianminlou collection decorated with sixteen boys playing in a garden (fig. 1).4 A similar arrangement of the design can be seen on wide bowls of the Xuande reign (1426-35), such as those in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei.5 In the Chenghua reign, similar depictions of sixteen children are painted on deeper bowls with less wide mouths, such as the current example. This decorative theme remained popular thereafter.

fig. 1. Blue and white 'Boys' bowl, Yongle reign (1403-24), Tianminlou collection.

The Chenghua Emperor, who came to the throne at the age of eighteen, was greatly concerned about his lack of a male heir. His favourite, powerful, consort, Lady Wan Guifei was some seventeen years older than the emperor, and, after losing her own child, was determined that none of his other consorts would usurp her position by producing an heir to the throne. She therefore took drastic measures to ensure that no other woman in the palace gave the emperor a son. Eventually one consort, Lady Qi, succeeded in hiding her pregnancy and sequestered her son until he was five years old to protect him from Lady Wan. The child survived to succeed the Chenghua Emperor, taking the reign name Hongzhi (1488-1505). Aware only of his lack of male heirs, particularly in the latter part of his reign, the Chenghua Emperor favoured decoration that included auspicious messages regarding sons and grandsons. 

While the boys on the current bowl are engaged in play of different kinds, their activities have also been carefully chosen for their auspicious connotations. For example one boy is depicted holding a lotus leaf over the head of another like a parasol. While the parasol might imply his future high rank, the lotus leaf also provides a rebus or visual pun. One word for lotus in Chinese is lian which is a homophone for a word meaning continuous or successive, and thus combined with a boy child suggests the successive birth of sons and grandsons. Another Chinese word for lotus is pronounced he, which sounds like the word for harmony, suggesting that there will be harmony among the sons and grandsons. Four other boys on the bowl are depicted grouped around a fish bowl - one holding a fish he has caught, while others have their hands in the water attempting to catch fish. In Chinese the word for fish is pronounced yu, the same as a word for abundance and so suggesting wealth. The word for fish also sounds like the word for jade, while the fish being caught by the boys are probably intended to be gold fish - suggesting jade and gold. These two precious materials also great suggest wealth. 

In another group a small boy holds a writing brush in one hand and a sprig of flowering cassia in the other. This suggests scholarly achievement, since in China the writing brush was regarded as a symbol of scholarly pursuits and a successful official career. Legend has it that the highest successful candidate in the imperial examinations would be awarded a sprig of cassia by Chang E, the moon goddess. Another of the boys holds a fly whisk, which is associated with whisking away contamination and the problems of the world - suggesting that his life will be pure and trouble free.

Further around the bowl another boy is shown riding a hobby horse made of bamboo. This has several auspicious connotations. The term 'on top of a horse' mashang also means 'immediately', and so a young boy riding a horse suggests the imminent birth of a boy. The horse is additionally a symbol of peace. The bamboo from which the hobby horse is made is also a symbol of peace, but in addition it symbolizes humility, fidelity and particularly integrity. Another of the boys on the bowl appears to be playing with an insect called a katydid in English and guoguo in Chinese, which is close in pronunciation of the term for a brother, and suggests the phrase jiao gege - calling for a brother - indicating that a family has more than one son. 

Thus, while the scene on this bowl is visually pleasing and charmingly painted, all its symbolism refers to the birth of many sons and grandsons, who will have intelligence, integrity, and a harmonious long life - precisely reflecting the wishes of the emperor during whose reign the bowl was made. 

1 Illustrated by W. Watson, Tang and Liao Ceramics, New York, 1984, fig. 95.
2 Illustrated in Tang dai jin yin qi, Beijing, 1985, no. 208.
3 Illustrated in A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1989 revised edition, p. 94, no. 89.
4 Illustrated in Chinese Porcelain - The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 43, no. 15.
5 Illustrated in Illustrated Catalogue of Ming dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum, vol. 1, Tokyo, 1977, nos. 63 and 64.