Lot 716. A very rare coral-ground famille verte 'boys' bowl, Kangxi six-character mark in underglaze blue within a double circle and of the period (1662-1722); 8 ¼ in. (21 cm.) diam. Estimate USD 70,000 - USD 90,000. © Christie's 2021

The bowl is decorated with enamels and gilt on a coral-red ground, with four groups of four boys, some playing with a squirrel and others engaged in different leisurely pursuits, beside rocks and plantain on a continuous fenced garden terrace.

Provenance: T. T. Tsui (1941-2010) Collection, Hong Kong.

Literature: The Min Chiu Society, Splendour of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1992, p. 362, no. 229.
The Tsui Museum of Art, Chinese Ceramics IV; Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 104.

Note: The elaborate and highly amusing design on the present bowl is based on earlier Ming prototypes of children gathered in groups playing in a landscaped garden. The earliest known representation of this motif can be seen on a Yongle blue and white bowl exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Chinese Porcelain, The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong, 1987, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 15.

The deep, coral enamel used as the ground was an innovation of the Qing dynasty, when new enamel colors became available. A pair of coral-ground ‘boys’ bowls, also with Kangxi marks and of the period, but more densely decorated with boys and leaving less space for the rich coral ground, is illustrated by G. Hasebe, Qing Ceramics from Seikado; The Beauty of Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln, Tokyo, 2006, p. 37, no. 27. In the present design, the smaller groups of boys allow for more space and rhythm in the design, and the gilt detailing gives an added richness to this new palette.

Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 18 march 2021