Ref: U431
Archive item - not for sale
Chinese blue and white bowl, Kangxi (1662-1722), decorated with four vignettes depicting scenes from the 'Romance of the Western Chamber', the interior decorated with boys playing in a landscape, with a band of diaper around the inner rim, with apocryphal Chenghua mark to the base, diameter: 7 ¾ in. (19.6 cm). The Romance of the Western Chamber is China’s most popular love story, telling the travails of the poor, aspiring young scholar Zhang and the beautiful Yingying, the daughter of a high-ranking official. After many romantic experiences and dramatic difficulties, the two lovers eventually get married. The scenes on this bowl are from a series of woodblock print designs by the artist Chen Hongshou. For a full description of the story see J. P. Stamen, C. Volk and Y. Ni, ‘ A Culture Revealed: Kangxi-Era Porcelain from the Jie Rui Tang Collection’, p.56. SOLD
