Description: Daoguang six-character seal marks in iron red and of the period
China, 1821-1850
The bowl is painted in crisp enamels on the exterior with two medallions enclosing scenes from the Mudan ting ‘Peony Pavilion’ play, all surrounded by butterflies, chrysanthemum, peonies and peaches on a lime-green ground. The cover is similarly decorated below the circular knob. The rime of the lobed bowl is gilt as well as the circles framing the medallions. The inside of the bowl, the cover, the knob and the foot rim bear a turquoise glaze.
The Peony Pavilion (Chinese: 牡丹亭; pinyin: Mudan ting), also named The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion, is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tang Xianzu in 1598, and the plot was drawn from the short story Du Liniang Revives for Love. It depicts a love story between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, overcomes all difficulties, transcending time and space, life and death, and finally get together. Different from the short story, in Tang' s play, it is a dynamic integration of the legendary and the reality in Ming Dynasty. Scenes of love in dreams, Du Liniang's revival, or any supernatural element seem absurd in play, but it reflects the sprout of humanism, through protagonists' strong desire and unremitting pursuit of free love and uncovers the degeneracy of the society under feudalism at that time.
The scenes depicted on the present bowl are most likely ‘Discovering the Portrait’ and ‘Secret Rendezvous’, both of which belong to the small group of important scenes usually being adopted and performed onstage. It is known that this play was very popular during the mid-Qing period. (2)
Shape: Porcelain bowl with cover
Weight: 650,3 grams total, 402,3 grams the bowl, 248 grams the cover
Dimensions: 16,9 cm diameter (the bowl) 16 cm diameter (the lid)
Condition: The gilding on the rim of the know has been redone, covering a very tiny chip. The inside of both bowl and lid shows old wear. Otherwise absolutely perfect condition.
Provenance: American private collection, purchase at Christies. A photocopy of the Christies invoice will be released to the new owner
Literature comparison: A Daoguang-period dish (one of a pair) of this very same design is illustrated by D. Nadler, China to Order, Paris, 2001, no. 129, where it is cited that another dish of this design from the Alma Cleveland Porter Collection is in the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.
道光年款青地粉彩”牡丹亭”瓷碗蓋
“大清道光年製”六字款
中國,1821-1850年
青檸色的碗,畫有許多牡丹、菊花與飛舞的蝶,兩圓中呈現牡丹亭景物。碗蓋有相似的花紋及畫作。碗緣鎏金,蓋緣及頂端的圓也都鎏金設計。碗內及蓋內皆為綠松色釉。
牡丹亭,又稱還魂記,為明代湯顯祖於1598年創作。描寫杜麗娘與柳夢梅的生死之戀,歷經千辛萬苦後,終成眷侶。與短篇小說不同的地方,在明代的戲曲中,改編唐代的傳奇以貼近現實主義,摒棄超自然的神話與鬼怪,透過描寫對自由戀愛的不懈追求,反映當時封建主義下的保守與墮落。
據推斷,此碗描述的為《拾畫》以及《幽媾》兩場,為故事中重要之情節。清朝中期,《牡丹亭》故事家喻戶曉。
形狀:瓷碗帶蓋
重量:總重650.3克,碗重402.3克,蓋重248克
尺寸:碗直徑16.9厘米,蓋直徑16厘米
品相極好。鎏金邊經修補,碗與蓋內部有些許摩擦。
美國私人收藏,購買於佳士得,可提供新買家購買票據影本。
文獻參考:一個道光時期相似的瓷盤,收錄於D. Nadler著《China to Order》,巴黎,2001年,編號129。同時指出與此盤成對的另一個瓷盤來自Alma Cleveland Porter收藏,現存於美國麻薩諸塞州的皮博迪埃塞克斯博物館。