A fine and superb yangcai yellow-ground ‘boys’ vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red and of the period

30 mai 2018

A fine and superb yangcai yellow-ground ‘boys’ vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red and of the period

Lot 2752. A fine and superb yangcai yellow-ground ‘boys’ vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red and of the period (1736-1795); 15 ¼ in. (38.8 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 50,000,000 - HKD 80,000,000. Price realised HKD 66,475,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2018

The ovoid body is exquisitely decorated in bright enamels with a continuous scene of the ‘Hundred Boys’ celebrating the Spring festival, the children depicted in animated groups performing a lion dance, playing with dragon and phoenix puppets, playing music from drums, cymbals and horn, lighting a firecracker and carrying auspicious emblems, the festivities set within two gardens separated by a flowing river and linked by bridges, all between a trefoil border at the shoulder and overlapping lappets around the base, above the floral band around the foot, the waisted neck enamelled with a stylised lotus scroll and upright lappets on a yellow sgraffito ground, flanked by a pair of gilt and iron-red dragon handles, with classic scrolls around the foot and mouth rims, stand, Japanese wood box.

Provenance: Sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 1 November 1999, lot 399
Sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27 October 2003, lot 641

Note: The festive nature of the ‘Hundred Boys’ design brings much animation and vivacity to the composition on these vases. The subject of boys or of children was very popular on decorative arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Traditionally, they represent the wish for abundant offspring, or in particular, sons, and wealth. This theme can be found on several Qianlong vases, similarly rendered as on the present lot, with boys at play within a garden scenery against a mountainous backdrop.

A number of these vases are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, including a large baluster jar, a small covered jar, and a lantern-form vase, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pp. 138-139, no. 121, p. 146, no. 128, and p. 150, no. 132. Compare, also, a lantern vase of this design in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 320 (fig. 4); a pair of ruby-ground vases in private collection, illustrated in One Thousand Years of Jingdezhen, Tokyo,2006, p, 71, no. 49; and a large turquoise-ground vase sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3326; and a pair of famille rose and underglaze blue vases, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 30 October 2002, lot 267.

A magnificent fine turquoise-ground Famille Rose 'Hundred Boys' vase, Qianlong iron-red six-character seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 29 3/4 in. (75.7cm). Sold for HK$29,240,000 ($3,788,706) at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3326. © Christie's Image Ltd 2014

Cf. my post: A magnificent fine turquoise-ground Famille Rose 'Hundred Boys' vase, Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period

Christie's. Three Qianlong Rarities - Imperial Ceramics From An Important Private Collection, Hong Kong, 30 May 2018

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Tags: Qianlong six-character seal mark in iron red and of the period, yangcai yellow-ground, ‘boys’ vase