Lot 384
  • 384

A SET OF TWO FAMILLE-ROSE 'FIGURAL' PLAQUES BY WANG DAFAN, DATED REPUBLIC 18TH YEAR, CORRESPONDING TO 1929 |

Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 USD
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Description

  • Height 31 7/8  in., 81 cm; Width 8 1/8  in., 20.5 cm
both rectangular panels finely enameled, the first, painted with the story of Fan Li delighting in a reclusive life with Xi Shi on the Five Lakes, the renowned Spring and Autumn period military strategist of Yue depicted sitting together with Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties, in a sampan boat journeying on a lake, with a gnarled overhanging willow tree in the foreground and a distant pavilion in the background, accompanied by a poem on the same subject written by the Yuan dynasty poet Li Huan, followed by an inscription, dated Republic 18th year, corresponding to 1929, and an artist seal reading Dafan; the second, depicting Hong Fu Nü visiting the Tang dynasty general Li Jing at night, the legendary beauty depicted wearing a shawl conversing with an attendant holding a candle at the gate to a pavilion, accompanied by a related poem written by the Ming dynasty poet Gao Qi, followed by an inscription, dated yisi year, corresponding to 1929, and two artist seals reading Kun and Dafan (2)

Provenance

Acquired in New York, early 1980s.

Condition

Both panels are in overall good condition with some expected minor surface wear.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Striking for the vivid colors and meticulous details, these two splendidly painted plaques are the works of Wang Dafan (1888-1961), a member of the prominent group of Jingdezhen ceramic artists, the Zhushan Bayou [Eight Friends of Zhushan]. A native of Yixian, Anhui province, Wang went to Jingdezhen at the age of fifteen and studied under artist Wang Xiaotang (1885-1924), a master at painting figures of ladies in famille-rose enamel and vice-president of the Porcelain Painting Research Institute. By utilizing fluid, expressive brushstrokes with exquisite colors, as well as fusing elements from both traditional Chinese and Western paintings, Wang was able to create intricate and whimsical figures, which later became his personal style. Already a highly respected artist within China, his artistic mastery gained him further recognition internationally, when his Fugui Shoukao [Wealth, Honor and a Long Life] won a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. His influence on famille-rose figural painting can still be felt today, as the works of his son, Wang Xiaofan, and his nephew, Wang Xiliang (b. 1922-present), both well-known contemporary porcelain painters, demonstrate traces of Wang Dafan’s exuberant style. One of these splendidly painted plaques depicts Hong Fu Nu (the Red-whisk bearing lady), a legendary Chinese folk figure from the Sui/Tang period, visiting a small inn in Chang’an to meet her lover Li Jing (c. 571-649), who later became the General to Li Shimin (626-649), the future emperor of the Tang dynasty (618-907). Originally a courtesan to Yang Su (c. 544-606), a powerful minister of Sui court notorious for his cruelty, it was said that Hong Fu Nu, who possessed both incredible martial talent and an intelligent mind, eloped with the brilliant Li Jing in order to address the grievances of the people suffering under the tyranny of the court. These two figures were first mentioned, along with a third individual, Qiu Ran Ke (Dragon-beard man), in the fiction Qiu Ran Ke Zhuan/The Biography of the Dragon-Beard Man by Du Guangtong (c. 850-933), forming the trio known as Feng Chen San Xia ('Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust') and together overthrew the Sui Dynasty.

The scene rendered on the second plaque is derived from a well-known romance in Chinese history of Fan Li (c. 536-448 BC), a prominent minister and military strategist of the Yue kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and Xi Shi, one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. With her ethereal beauty and unmatchable elegance, Xi Shi was chosen to be sent as a tribute to the court of Wu kingdom, a long-time enemy of her home state, the Yue kingdom, with the intention to seek revenge by spying and taking advantage of the lust of King Fuchai of Wu. Xi Shi fell deeply in love with Fan Li during the journey to the Wu Kingdom, and the wise minister also grew to admire the courage of this young lady. The mission was subsequently accomplished after nearly two decades, and the two were said to have retired from political service thereafter and lived in relative obscurity. The scene depicted on the present plaque is a popular illustration of the two, who pleasantly roamed the misty wilderness of the placid Lake Taihu on a small boat.

Further famille-rose figural plaques by Wang Dafan include one painted with promenading figures, included in the exhibition Brush and Clay. Chinese Porcelain of the Early 20th Century, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. no. 68; two sold at Bonhams San Francisco, one painted with statesmen and female musicians, 25th June 2014, lot 6382, and a smaller second plaque illustrating Li Bo, 17th December 2013, lot 8354; and a fourth example, painted with scholars, from the collection of the Hon. Andrew Li Kwok Nang, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st December 2010, lot 3279.