Ref: MW140
Archive item - not for sale
Chinese blue and white bowl, Kangxi (1662-1722), decorated with a scene from the ‘Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove’ playing weiqi and relaxing in a rocky landscape with willow and bamboo, the interior with a central roundel containing an attendant, the interior rim with a decorative band of pine, with concentric bands in underglaze cobalt blue, the base with a scholar’s object, diameter: 19cm. (7 7/16in.); height: 8.6cm. (3 3/8in.) condition : Minor glaze faults to interior, three chips to foot rim. The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove were a group of scholars, poets, artists and musicians from the 3rd century who came to represent the idealised notion of the tipsy Chinese scholar who removed himself from the disastrous political world in favour of an existence based on self cultivation. Although the actual relation between the individual historic figures believed to make up the Seven Sages is unconfirmed, according to Chinese mythology they would gather in a bamboo grove to drink and pursue scholarly activities focused on personal artistic freedom, consumption of alcohol, spontaneity and a celebration of nature. This offered escape, albeit temporarily, from their official duties at court, where some of the Sages were endangered by their opposition to the ruling Sima clan during the Jin Dynasty (266-420 AD). SOLD
