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YONGZHENG PERIOD (1723-1735)
Details
A PAIR OF MASSIVE AND SUPERBLY-DECORATED FAMILLE ROSE BALUSTER JARS AND COVERS
YONGZHENG PERIOD (1723-1735)
Each jar is finely decorated in bright enamels with elaborately dressed and coiffured equestriennes riding through a garden with a trellis covered in flowering plants to one side, with two scholars and an attendent at leisure in a gazebo, all below a ruyi-shaped border decorated with a peony floral pattern, the conforming covers further decorated with a figural hunting scene and surmounted by a bud-shaped finial. The bases are unglazed.
30 ¾ in. (78.5 cm.) high
YONGZHENG PERIOD (1723-1735)
Each jar is finely decorated in bright enamels with elaborately dressed and coiffured equestriennes riding through a garden with a trellis covered in flowering plants to one side, with two scholars and an attendent at leisure in a gazebo, all below a ruyi-shaped border decorated with a peony floral pattern, the conforming covers further decorated with a figural hunting scene and surmounted by a bud-shaped finial. The bases are unglazed.
30 ¾ in. (78.5 cm.) high
Provenance
Private European collection, amassed in the 1950s.
Further details
Fit for a Palace: A Pair of Large Famille Rose Lidded Jars
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant, Asia Art
This pair of famille rose lidded jars is remarkable both for its large size and also for the exceptional quality of its overglaze enamel decoration. The enamels themselves are of very high quality, with unusual clarity and brilliance, while the painting has been executed with particular skill. Superb monumental vessels of this type were not only appreciated in China, but were much sought-after by the royal and aristocratic owners of palaces and stately homes in Europe, where their display reinforced the grandeur of the palaces and exquisite taste of their owners.
The main decoration on both jars depicts beautifully dressed and coiffured equestriennes riding at full pelt through a garden and away from a mansion with a trellis covered in flowering plants to one side. This was a popular decorative theme on large, high-quality porcelains of the 18th century, but its interpretation has been the subject of some debate amongst art historians. The most usual interpretation is that these ladies represent the female generals of the Yang family. The stories concerning the Generals of the Yang Family derive from a mixture of history, folk tales, plays and novels. The stories take place during the Song dynasty between approximately AD 960 and 1050, and celebrate both the military abilities and the ultimate loyalty of succeeding generations of the Yang family to the Song emperors in their battles against the Khitans of the Liao and the Tanguts of the Xi Xia. At least three of the Yang family protagonists are historical figures – Yang Ye (d. AD 986), Yang Yanzhao (c. 958-1014) and Yang Wenguang (d. 1074), but the tales are mostly fictional – beginning as legends, then being retold in plays during the 14th and 15th centuries, and providing the substance of novels in the 16th-19th century. The two most famous of the Ming dynasty novels are Records of the Two Songs, South and North (Liang Song Nanbei Zhizhuan) by Xiong Damu, and Popular Romance of the Loyalty and Bravery over Successive Generations of the Yang Family (Yang Jia Fu Shidai Zhongyong Tongsu Yanyi ) by Qinhuai Moke (probably the nom de plume of Ji Zhenlun) – both originally written in the 16th century.
While in these pre-Qing versions of the Yang family tales it is the male members of the family who dominate, even in these some of the female characters demonstrate their mettle. She Saihua, the wife of Yang Ye, is credited with joining her husband in battle and shooting one of the invaders with an arrow. Other women from the Yang family administered a serious beating to an official who was disrespectful of the family epitaph, erected on Emperor Zhenzong’s orders. Yang Ye’s daughter crossed the border alone to bring back her father’s remains and his golden sabre. However, it is the later part of the story that is celebrated in the theme of the Female Generals of the Yang Family. After the death of Yang Yanzhao, the Yang family was bereft of men of military age, and so twelve of the women of the Yang family are supposed to have joined the campaign against the Xi Xia and proved themselves brave and able soldiers, while exacting revenge for the death of their menfolk. This part of the story became more popular in the Qing dynasty and the Jiaqing emperor (1796-1820) ordered the stories about the generals of the Yang family to be included in Song Book to Enlighten Generations while in the 19th and 20th centuries it was the subject of operatic performances.
The equestriennes depicted on the current jars and similar large 18th century vessels are often though to be the female generals of the Yang family leaving their home and riding out to join the loyal troops. However, there is another interpretation of the scene on these jars and other vessels. It is suggested that the scenes come from an historical novel Sui Tang Yanyi (Romance of the Sui and Tang) by Zhu Renhuo (active 1675-1695), which is loosely based on events believed to have taken place in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Once again, the name Yang is involved; in this case Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty ( r. AD 604-618), who is regarded as possibly guilty of patricide, a tyrant, but who also embarked on great building projects, such as the Grand Canal and the Great Wall. Emperor Yang also built a luxurious palace at Luoyang and is reported to have required his concubines to find novel ways to entertain him. It may be Emperor Yang who is depicted in the current jars, seated on a balcony watching the equestriennes. In which case the scene shows some of his concubines re-enacting for the emperor’s amusement, the story of famed Han dynasty beauty Wang Zhaojun, who was sent, against her will, across the border to marry Huhanye Chanyu leader of the Xiongnu Empire in order to cement a political alliance.
Whichever interpretation of the scenes is accepted, the depictions are exceptionally fine. The jars also bear unusual details on their lids. The bud-shaped finial bears a delicate golden chrysanthemum, while the part of the lid just below the finial has an unusual, but visually effective band which includes well-painted peaches – symbols of longevity – which fully utilise the rich pink enamel. Such magnificent jars would undoubtedly have graced a noble house, adding to the splendour of its furnishings.
Rosemary Scott, Senior International Academic Consultant, Asia Art
This pair of famille rose lidded jars is remarkable both for its large size and also for the exceptional quality of its overglaze enamel decoration. The enamels themselves are of very high quality, with unusual clarity and brilliance, while the painting has been executed with particular skill. Superb monumental vessels of this type were not only appreciated in China, but were much sought-after by the royal and aristocratic owners of palaces and stately homes in Europe, where their display reinforced the grandeur of the palaces and exquisite taste of their owners.
The main decoration on both jars depicts beautifully dressed and coiffured equestriennes riding at full pelt through a garden and away from a mansion with a trellis covered in flowering plants to one side. This was a popular decorative theme on large, high-quality porcelains of the 18th century, but its interpretation has been the subject of some debate amongst art historians. The most usual interpretation is that these ladies represent the female generals of the Yang family. The stories concerning the Generals of the Yang Family derive from a mixture of history, folk tales, plays and novels. The stories take place during the Song dynasty between approximately AD 960 and 1050, and celebrate both the military abilities and the ultimate loyalty of succeeding generations of the Yang family to the Song emperors in their battles against the Khitans of the Liao and the Tanguts of the Xi Xia. At least three of the Yang family protagonists are historical figures – Yang Ye (d. AD 986), Yang Yanzhao (c. 958-1014) and Yang Wenguang (d. 1074), but the tales are mostly fictional – beginning as legends, then being retold in plays during the 14th and 15th centuries, and providing the substance of novels in the 16th-19th century. The two most famous of the Ming dynasty novels are Records of the Two Songs, South and North (Liang Song Nanbei Zhizhuan) by Xiong Damu, and Popular Romance of the Loyalty and Bravery over Successive Generations of the Yang Family (Yang Jia Fu Shidai Zhongyong Tongsu Yanyi ) by Qinhuai Moke (probably the nom de plume of Ji Zhenlun) – both originally written in the 16th century.
While in these pre-Qing versions of the Yang family tales it is the male members of the family who dominate, even in these some of the female characters demonstrate their mettle. She Saihua, the wife of Yang Ye, is credited with joining her husband in battle and shooting one of the invaders with an arrow. Other women from the Yang family administered a serious beating to an official who was disrespectful of the family epitaph, erected on Emperor Zhenzong’s orders. Yang Ye’s daughter crossed the border alone to bring back her father’s remains and his golden sabre. However, it is the later part of the story that is celebrated in the theme of the Female Generals of the Yang Family. After the death of Yang Yanzhao, the Yang family was bereft of men of military age, and so twelve of the women of the Yang family are supposed to have joined the campaign against the Xi Xia and proved themselves brave and able soldiers, while exacting revenge for the death of their menfolk. This part of the story became more popular in the Qing dynasty and the Jiaqing emperor (1796-1820) ordered the stories about the generals of the Yang family to be included in Song Book to Enlighten Generations while in the 19th and 20th centuries it was the subject of operatic performances.
The equestriennes depicted on the current jars and similar large 18th century vessels are often though to be the female generals of the Yang family leaving their home and riding out to join the loyal troops. However, there is another interpretation of the scene on these jars and other vessels. It is suggested that the scenes come from an historical novel Sui Tang Yanyi (Romance of the Sui and Tang) by Zhu Renhuo (active 1675-1695), which is loosely based on events believed to have taken place in the Sui and Tang dynasties. Once again, the name Yang is involved; in this case Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty ( r. AD 604-618), who is regarded as possibly guilty of patricide, a tyrant, but who also embarked on great building projects, such as the Grand Canal and the Great Wall. Emperor Yang also built a luxurious palace at Luoyang and is reported to have required his concubines to find novel ways to entertain him. It may be Emperor Yang who is depicted in the current jars, seated on a balcony watching the equestriennes. In which case the scene shows some of his concubines re-enacting for the emperor’s amusement, the story of famed Han dynasty beauty Wang Zhaojun, who was sent, against her will, across the border to marry Huhanye Chanyu leader of the Xiongnu Empire in order to cement a political alliance.
Whichever interpretation of the scenes is accepted, the depictions are exceptionally fine. The jars also bear unusual details on their lids. The bud-shaped finial bears a delicate golden chrysanthemum, while the part of the lid just below the finial has an unusual, but visually effective band which includes well-painted peaches – symbols of longevity – which fully utilise the rich pink enamel. Such magnificent jars would undoubtedly have graced a noble house, adding to the splendour of its furnishings.
Brought to you by
Kate Hunt
Director, Head of Department