A FAMILLE-ROSE TABLE SCREEN SIGNED WANG QI, REPUBLICAN PERIOD

painted with a general, possibly Guo Ziyi, holding a tablet and accompanied by his attendant and maiden, with an inscription and two seals reading Xichang Wang Qi and Taozhai

The plaque and stand are in overall good condition. There are a few scratches to the surface glaze including two scratches near the inscription, 2 and 1.5 cm , a few others to the lower right corners. There are some pinholes or pin-size iron spots. There is some surface soiling that can be cleaned and light rubbing to the enamels but overall these have been well preserved.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

After the fall of the Qing dynasty, imperial orders for porcelain dwindled at Jingdezhen, the main porcelain production centre of China. Porcelain artists, released from Imperial restraints, and eager to develop new markets, developed new styles.  In 1928 eight of the leading artists formed a group, calling it Yueman hui (Full Moon Society) because they met to exchange ideas about art during the full moon. Wang Qi was the founding member of this group, which because it had eight members later came to be known as Zhushan Bayou (Eight Friends of Zhushan). 

The development of Wang Qi's mature style can be traced to a trip he made to Shanghai in 1916 to see an exhibition of works by a group of painters called Yangzhou Baguai (the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou). Wang was so impressed by the paintings of Huang Shen, one of the Eight Eccentrics that he started to emulate Huang's style. This influence can be seen in the present lot with his use of rapid and expressionistic brush strokes to create whimsical, exaggerated figures with sparse backgrounds juxtaposed with long calligraphic inscriptions in running script, similar to examples of Huang's works illustrated in Yangzhou Bajia Huaji, Tianjin, 1995, nos. 75, 59, 64, 71-76 and 78. Further table screens signed Wang Qi include two rendered in a similar style depicting Zhong Kui, included in the exhibition Brush and Clay. Chinese Porcelain of the Early 20th Century, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990, cat. nos 22 and 23; and a plaque depicting the scene of ‘Releasing the Crane from Gushan’, illustrated in D.S. Howard, A Tale of Three Cities: Canton, Shanghai and Hong Kong, London, 1997, pl. 357, sold in our London rooms, 7th November 2007, lot 483. Compare also a set of four famille-rose 'Eight-Immortals' panels dated to 1930, sold in our New York rooms, 17th March 2015, lot 295.