A PORCELAIN PLAQUE BY WANG QI, 1931China, signed Xichang Taomi daoren Wang Qi and dated 1931. Two seals. Depiction of Zhongli Quan with his fan and possibly Cao Guoju. Painted in very fine polychrome enamels. One poem in black ink.Provenance: A German private collection. Acquired between 1960 and 1970 in China. Thence by descent. Old inventory number ‘11’ inscribed to back. Old paper label with illegible Chinese inscription to back.Condition: Superb condition with only minor wear and some minimal firing flaws. Weight: 1735 grams.Dimensions: 38.5 x 25.5 cm.Compare with a related plaque, sold at Sotheby’s London in their ‘Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art’ sale on November 7th, 2007, lot 483.Wang Qi (1884-1937) was the most outstanding porcelain painter of his day. Lot 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 are a fine example of his use of rapid and expressionistic brush strokes, as illustrated for example by the intense concentration on the faces of the immortals on the plaques dated 1931. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, imperial orders for porcelain dwindled at Jingdezhen, the main porcelain production center of China. Porcelain artists, released from Imperial restraints, developed their own styles based upon famous scroll painters of earlier periods. Eight of the leading artists formed a group, which although calling it 'The Full Moon Society', came to be known as the 'Eight Friends of Zushan'. 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 still be seen one some of the present lots with their whimsical, sometimes 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. Not content to just emulate Huang's style, Wang created his own by incrementally incorporating Western techniques in his work. This is also seen in the use of light and shading on faces and clothing of the immortals in the plaques dated 1931 where realism and impressionism are harmoniously blended.1931年王琦瓷板畫中國，"西昌陶迷道人王琦"款，應爲1931年制。兩個印章。持扇漢鍾離與曹國舅。淺絳彩，背面有詩文。 來源：德國私人收藏，1960-1970閒購於中國，之後一直保存在收藏中。背面有老收藏編號 ‘11’ 以及紙質標簽上有中文字樣。品相： 品相極好，輕微磨損及極少燒製缺陷。 重量：1735 克尺寸：38.5 x 25.5 厘米