Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Eloge de l'Art par Alain Truong
2 mars 2009

A Blue and White Circular 'One Hundred Boys' Box And Cover, Wanli Mark and Period

5

A Blue and White Circular 'One Hundred Boys' Box And Cover, Wanli Mark and Period

of circular form with a domed cover painted with a lively scene of boys at play, each rendered in deep blue outline filled with a wash of lighter blue, a boy dressed as a dignitary seated in front of a screen reading from a book, surrounded by boys bestowing gifts, matching herbs, flying a kite, and drinking tea, the rounded sides of the box and cover with sinuous five-clawed dragons pursuing 'flaming pearls', with a narrow band of the 'Eight Buddhist Emblems', the interior glazed a bluish-white, all supported on a short slightly tapered foot decorated with scrolling foliage (2). diameter 9 in., 22.9 cm. Estimate 15,000—25,000 USD

PROVENANCE: Sotheby's New York, 6th November 1981, lot 270.
Thereafter with the present owner.

NOTE: The motif of one hundred boys at play conveys a wish for numerous sons and can be traced to China's earliest literary compilation, the Book of Odes. Wanli boxes of this type are included in several major museum collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; and the Victoria and Albert Museum. A slightly smaller example, from the T.Y. Chao collection, was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 244.

Sotheby's. Chinese Works of Art. 17 Mar 09.New York www.sothebys.com Photo courtesy Sotheby's

Publicité
Commentaires
Publicité
Archives
Derniers commentaires
Eloge de l'Art par Alain Truong
Publicité