Ref: W513
Archive item - not for sale
Chinese blue and white yen-yen vase, Kangxi (1662-1722), with a narrow neck widening to a flared rim, the lower baluster-form section decorated in cobalt blues with a scene of a seated dignitary surrounded by elegant ladies, a scholar and guard in attendance; all within a terraced courtyard partitioned by crashing wave-pattern screens, a cluster of leafy plantain and rockwork, swirling clouds above; the upper section of the vase with a mountainous landscape scene, rocky outcrops emerging from the mist and a young man in conversation with an old sage in flowing robes with a stick while young boys play about them.
Dimensions:
Height: 39cm. (15 3/8in.)
Condition:
Piece out of rim neatly reattached, and star hairline to base sealed and cleaned. There is some slight discolouration near the base which can be seen on the images
Notes:
In Chinese, yen-yen vases are referred to as ‘fengweizun’, which translates to ‘phoenix-tail’ and alludes to their narrow neck and flaring rim. The name ‘yen-yen’ stems from the Cantonese ‘yan’ (craving), and reflects the European appetite for such export wares.
