A RARE FAMILLE VERTE INSCRIBED HERB BRICK KANGXI PERIOD (...

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Hammer

£12,000

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A RARE FAMILLE VERTE INSCRIBED HERB BRICK
KANGXI PERIOD (1662-1722)
康熙（1662-1772）五彩高仕诗文瓷砖
this brick is rectangular in shape and luted together in hollow sections with piercings at each side for attachment. It is decorated on one side with six boys at play in a garden setting whilst watched by a number of maidens from a nearby pavilion. The detail is intricate and emphasises the fine clothing and prosperity of the gathering. All the boys are brightly dressed in loose trousers over which are worn long-sleeved shirts. Each participates in play – one riding a hobby horse, another a lotus leaf and others in childish antics. All are framed within a stylised floral ground border with ruyi heads at each of the four corners.

The reverse side is again elegantly enamelled with a landscape scene and a poetic inscription with a seal mark that can be translated as:
"When rainbow crossing the sky, double bridges reshaped the reflection of early moonlight on the river. And it’s lucky to be surrounded by this beautiful nature". Garden “Chu”, by Hui An.
26cm wide, 19cm high

NOTE: The theme of boys playing in a garden was an established subject in the paintings of the Song dynasty (960-1279). It continued to be a favourite among artists and craftsmen of both the Ming and Qing dynasties, whilst the iconography fluctuated according to the medium and the times. The stock grouping of two boys – one holding a lotus leaf and the other riding a hobbyhorse appears on art objects until the end of the 17th century.

PROVENANCE: Acquired from Guest & Gray, London, 29 September 2007