A FINE BLUE AND WHITE SAUCER DISH KANGXI SIX CHARACTER MARK ...

Hammer

£6,500

A FINE BLUE AND WHITE SAUCER DISH
KANGXI SIX CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD
康熙青花‘携琴訪友’圖紋盤
the dish with a slightly everted rim, is decorated in graded shades of cobalt blue. The scene, depicted in Kangxi style, contrasts the jagged rhythms of the pine trees and rocks against the quiet mood of the scholar who points and gazes pensively into the bubbling rapids of a cascade. He is attended by a bannerman and two young attendants - one carrying provisions and the other a qin. There are two formal abstract landscapes on the outside of the dish and the base has a Kangxi reign mark within a double circle.
27cm diam. 

NOTE: The theme of “A scholar gazing at a waterfall”, sometimes with acquaintances or attendants and often with a pine tree, is a popular subject in Chinese classic paintings - often appearing in variations in the number of figures, their postures and actions. The popularity of the subject could be associated with the Tang poet Lai Bai’s famous work “Gazing at Mount Lu’s Waterfall”, which eulogises the dramatic landscape of Mount Lu and its impressive waterfall.

The imagery and combination of tall mountains and waterfalls is also associated with the story of the qin player Yu Boya from the Spring and Autumn period. According to legend Yu Boya once played by a river two pieces, one called “ Tall Mountains” and the other “ Flowing River”. When Zhong Ziqi was passing by he was impressed by the music and understood the reference to the mountains and river. Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi became great friends and agreed to meet in the same place the following year. Sadly Zhong Ziqi died before they could meet but asked to be buried by the river so that he could hear Yu Boya’s music. Yu Boya was so devastated by the news of Zhong Ziqi’s death that he broke his qin and never played the instrument again. The story of close friendship is often recounted to demonstrate how rare and precious it is to find one’s soul mate. As this dish shows tall mountains, a waterfall and a scholar with an attendant holding a qin, it is possible that the scholar is Yu Boya on his way to meet Zhong Ziqi.  

PROVENANCE: Acquired from Chorley’s Auctioneers, Gloucestershire, June 2009.

RELATED EXAMPLE: For similar scene of a scholar on a rocky outcrop but on a Kangxi bitong see "Kangxi: The Jie Jui Tang Collection", Sotheby's, New York, March 2018, Lot 311

More Information

A small repaired rim chip and a consolidated hairline of approximately 5cm at the 2 o'clock position. A small repaired shallow surface chip below the pen of the sage.