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Sold Ceramics - Sold Chinese Imari 1700-1800 - Flowers, Animals and Long Elizas - Page 1

 

Object 2011203

 

Saucer

 

China

 

1700-1715

 

Height 19 mm (0.75 inch), diameter of rim 112 mm (4.41 inch), diameter of footring 61 mm (2.40 inch)

 

Saucer on footring, scalloped rim. Chinese Imari, decorated in underglaze blue, black, iron-red and gold with  a scene from a Chinese Opera play love story named (柳 毅 傳 書), "The Dragon King's Daughter", one of the many Tang dynasty (A.D. 618-907) stories. It was widely told in China, and has been restructured in various forms in different times and regional areas. In the seventeenth century, a young scholar named Liu Yi, a scholar on his way to the capital for a civil-service examination, meets a lone shepherdess, a Dragon-Princess, who has been deserted by her husband. Liu Yi takes her letter of appeal to her father, the Dragon-King, who flies into a rage and kills her husband. Liu Yi distances himself from the rescued Princess, because he caused her widowhood. Driven by her love to Liu Yi, the Dragon-Princess transforms herself into an industrious fisherman’s daughter and she asks a matchmaker to match her with Liu Yi. On their wedding night, the obedient Liu Yi recognizes the transformed Dragon-Princess. (source: lamama.org)

 

The scene is well set with dangerous feel: the thick clouds covering the moon showing it as a dark night. The blue and red waves make a rough sea. The movement of the tortoise and the carp creates speed and motion. The Princess is shy but the love is so intense with her looking back and the man leaning forward while holding a flute. (I am indebted to Mr. S. Fan, Doncaster for this information)

 

The Carp and Tortoise themselves have special meaning. Carp: healthy, energetic and lively. The word 'fish' (魚) pronounces the same as '餘' which means 'more than enough', or 'having surplus'. The Carp jumping over the Dragon Gate means a break though, great success, equates to graduating to be a court official. Tortoise: the tortoise is sacred in China and is an emblem of longevity, strength and endurance. The "kuei" or tortoise is the chief of all shelly animals, because its nature is spiritual. It was said to be an attendant of P'an Ku when he chiselled out the world.
 
Condition: A chip, three frits and a fleabite to the rim.

 

Reference:

lamama.org, Dragon Princess PDF, 2006

 

Price: Sold.