Lot 376. A large famille-verte 'Empty City Stratageme' dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period (1662-1722). Diameter 14 1/2  in., 36.8 cm. Estimate 15,000 — 25,000 USD. Courtesy Sotheby’s.

with shallow rounded sides and everted wide border, the center painted with a famous episode from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the brilliant military strategist Zhuge Liang peacefully playing a qinabove the city gate as an attendant sweeps the open entry way in a welcoming gesture, the invading forces galloping away in hasty retreat, the rim finely enameled with stylized crane roundels on an iron-red diaper ground, the reverse with three freely painted floral sprays and an underglaze-blue artemisia leaf mark within a double circle, coll. no. 1631.

Property of The Jie Rui Tang Collection

Provenance: Berwald Oriental Art, London, 2007. 

Note: Among the many famous recorded military strategems, that of the ‘Empty City’ or ‘Empty Fort’ has long been a favorite. The story as related in Romance of the Three Kingdoms centers around Zhuge Liang, who turned a near certain defeat into victory. As the battle between the states of Wei and Shu raged, Zhuge Liang found himself dangerously outnumbered and unprepared. The ingenious general ordered his troops to throw open the city gates. The general placed himself conspicuously over the city gates where he calmly played a qin. The sight of an unexpected welcome took the  enemy by surprise and fearing a clever trap the Wei army turned face and retreated.  By presenting a bold front, a weak defense may be concealed. 

Sotheby's. KANGXI: The Jie Rui Tang Collection, New York, 20 March 2018, 11:00 AM