CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, ÉPOQUE KANGXI (1662-1722)

This present famille verte brush pot is an exceptionally fine example from the Kangxi period, celebrated for its dense, high-quality porcelain body and lustrous glaze. The exterior is vividly painted with two continuous narrative scenes in the characteristic enamels of iron-red, green, yellow, blue, and aubergine.
One side depicts an elegant Lady Playing with Two Children, a tender scene symbolizing the blessings of offspring and familial happiness. The reverse presents a richly allegorical tableau: a Recluse Scholar sits upon a gnarled tree branch, embodying erudite leisure, while a double-gourd bottle is suspended above him. The gourd, a potent emblem in Chinese culture, represents Fortune and Prosperity (Fu Lu) and carries associations of longevity and divine blessings. The scholar’s posture, “sitting upon the branch,” cleverly suggests the aspiration to “sit and enjoy one’s fortune and rank.”
Together, these scenes convey an ideal scholarly life, harmonizing domestic joy with the pursuit of contemplative tranquility.
Compare a similar famille verte Kangxi brushpot, slightly taller at 13.8 cm, from the Palmer Collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2023, lot 2810.