CHINE - EPOQUE KANGXI (1662 - 1722)
Pair of small porcelain bowls decorated in blue under the cover of the three friends of winter, "suihan sanyou", ????, pine, bamboo and prunus, in a central medallion, surrounded by a frieze of bamboo at the edge. On the reverse, the apocryphal mark of Xuande.
Diam. 13.2 cm.
This symbol of the three friends of winter appears in a poem by Zhu Qingyu in 9th century China, and became popular through the works of the artist
Zhao Mengjian during the Song period. The three friends always accompany each other during the cold winter season, unlike other plants.
Only in winter the pine blossoms, the bamboo folds but does not break in the face of cold winds, the prunus is the first to bloom, an indicator of the coming spring. Together, they symbolize constancy, perseverance and resilience, qualities highly esteemed in the Confucian teachings and by the learned as they correspond to the ideal of the "learned man". This motif can be found on blue-white dishes throughout the ages from the beginning of the 15th century onwards. Here, the apocryphal mark pays homage to Emperor Xuande (1425-1435).
Similar references: Christie's, London South Kensington, 10 August 2010, lot no. 5.
Similar Xuande and Chenghua period theme: - Oriental Blue and White, by Sir Harry Garner, Faber and Faber Edition, illustration 32 A and 32 B.
CHINA - KANGXI Period (1662 - 1722)
Pair of small blue and white porcelain dishes adorned with the three friends of winter, plum, bamboo and pine in a central medallion, surrounded with a bamboo scroll. On the reverse, apocryphal Xuande mark.
清康熙 青花"歲寒三友"
圖盤一對"款
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