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Lot Essay
The present bottles probably depict the story of Mu Guiying, one of the female generals of the Yang family as described in one of the most famous examples of Chinese historical romances, the Bei Song zhizhuan 'History of the Northern Song', written by Xiong Damu. This novel commemorates the wars between the Northern Song (960-1127) and her neighbours in the north, the Liao (Khitan) and Xi Xia (Tangut). Most of the stories in this novel are about the legendary acts of the members of the family of general Yang. Therefore this novel is currently also known as Yangjia jiang yanyi 'Novel about the generals from the Yang family' (source: W. Idema and L. Haft, Chinese letterkunde: een inleiding Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Press, 2005, p. 196).
The story commences with one of the generals of the Yang family, named Yang Yanzhoa, who is in charge of protecting the Chinese northern border against invasions from the Khitans. Yang Yanzhao sent his son Yang Zongbao to collect a special kind of wood to make weapons.
During his search for this timber, Mu Guiying defeats and captures Yang Zongbao. Though some versions say that Mu forced Yang to marry her, they also might have fallen in love and married. Yang brings Mu back to his father, who is furious about these events and wants to execute his son. However, Mu persuades him to save the life of her husband, his son, by agreeing to help safeguarding the frontier from Khitan attacks. Mu Guiying becomes a member of the Yang family and leads various female military expeditions against the Khitan, even one of them when she is pregnant with child.
On the vases we may identify some of the scenes sketched above. For example, Yang Zongbao who is captured, his arms tied and standing in front of Mu Guiying, who sits behind the desk. On two other panels we can identify military women on horseback.
A pair of similar bottles with a similar story can be found in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, see C.J.A. Jörg and J. van Campen, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, London, 1997, pp. 91-92.
The story commences with one of the generals of the Yang family, named Yang Yanzhoa, who is in charge of protecting the Chinese northern border against invasions from the Khitans. Yang Yanzhao sent his son Yang Zongbao to collect a special kind of wood to make weapons.
During his search for this timber, Mu Guiying defeats and captures Yang Zongbao. Though some versions say that Mu forced Yang to marry her, they also might have fallen in love and married. Yang brings Mu back to his father, who is furious about these events and wants to execute his son. However, Mu persuades him to save the life of her husband, his son, by agreeing to help safeguarding the frontier from Khitan attacks. Mu Guiying becomes a member of the Yang family and leads various female military expeditions against the Khitan, even one of them when she is pregnant with child.
On the vases we may identify some of the scenes sketched above. For example, Yang Zongbao who is captured, his arms tied and standing in front of Mu Guiying, who sits behind the desk. On two other panels we can identify military women on horseback.
A pair of similar bottles with a similar story can be found in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, see C.J.A. Jörg and J. van Campen, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, London, 1997, pp. 91-92.