SHUNZHI PERIOD, CIRCA 1655

Four of the dishes in this group of eight depict characters from The Water Margin (Shuihu zhuan), a historical novel traditionally attributed to Shi Nai’an (c. 1296–1372) from Suzhou, although authorship is debated. The tale, which would have undoubtedly appealed to Ming loyalists at the end of the dynasty, was written in vernacular Chinese, rather than classical Chinese, but is nevertheless regarded as one of the great novels of Chinese literature. The story is set in the Song dynasty and revolves around a group of some 108 outlaws, who assemble at the marshes of Liangshan and form a sizeable army. Eventually they are granted amnesty by the authorities, who then send them to repel foreign invaders and suppress rebels. On 17th-century porcelain, as is the case on the present dishes, it is usually one or more of the characters from the book who is depicted, often with their names inscribed beside them, rather than a recognizable episode from the story (see lot 3572 in this catalogue for a small blue and white vase decorated with Huyan Zhuo and Wu Song in battle, each with an identifying inscription).

The four characters on the present dishes are each accompanied by their name (two-character inscription) and their nickname (four-character inscription). Li Kui, also known as 'Black Whirlwind', appears striding towards a waterfall holding a lotus bowl. He is muscular with a dark complexion and brows over his glaring eyes meet in the middle. Zhang Shun is depicted in a strong stance glancing over his shoulder at the viewer and holding a weapon, with his nickname 'White Fish' or 'White Stripe in the Waves' to his right. He is tall and powerfully built and is a strong swimmer who can dive to significant depths. The figure standing by rocks with his attendant is Zhu Wu, or 'Resourceful Strategist'. Described as having a long beard and blazing eyes, he is dressed in Daoist robes and carries a fan made of crane feathers. The standing figure holding a bird and accompanied by two small dogs is Zhie Zhen, also known as 'Double-headed Serpent'. He is described as having a purple face, trousers made of leopard skin and a tiger skin wrapped around his body. For a further discussion of the story and the first two characters mentioned here see Michael Butler, Julia B. Curtis and Stephen Little, Shunzhi Porcelain: Treasures from an Unknown Reign, 1644-1661, Alexandria, VA, 2002, pp.188-189.