A MASSIVE FAMILLE VERTE ‘DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL’ DEEP BOWL, MID-QING DYNASTY
China, 18th to early 19th century. Finely and heavily potted with deep rounded sides supported on a short foot and rising to a gently everted rim. Intricately painted in bright enamels and iron red, the exterior with a continuous scene depicting four noblemen and court ladies in a wheeled dragon boat pulled by six female attendants followed by heralds, soldiers on horseback, and bannermen leading the procession, watched with interest by a general and courtiers from a palace terrace, all framed by a key-fret band to the foot and a lozenge band between two ruyi-head bands.


Provenance:
English trade.

Condition:
Very good condition with some old wear and expected firing irregularities, small glaze recesses, minor dark spots, and a shallow chip to the rim. Slightly warped overall.

Weight: 13.6 kg

Dimensions: Diameter 60.3 cm



The interior similarly decorated
with a central medallion enclosing two soldiers on horseback fighting amid a hilly landscape with two fleeing soldiers on foot and two bannermen with a large pavilion in the background surrounded by scrolling red clouds. The medallion is encircled by a band of foliate scroll, surrounded by four panels enclosed by alternating frames with bats and linked-cash as well as angular scroll with mythical animals, all depicting further battle scenes, all below a wide band with shaped cartouches enclosing auspicious objects reserved against a brocade-patterned ground.


The Dragon Boat festival
rarely appears as a subject on enameled porcelain vases and dishes. The festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth month and is celebrated with eating rice dumplings, drinking wine, and - as can be seen in the painting on this bowl - a large dragon boat procession followed by a boat race. This festival is said to commemorate the death of the poet Qu Yuan (ca. 340-278 BC) who, on the day in question, committed suicide in his despair over political corruption.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related famille-verte rouleau vase decorated with scenes from the dragon boat festival, 22.9 cm in diameter, dated to the Kangxi period, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 14.40.85.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 19 April 2023, lot 23
Price: USD 35,560 or approx.
EUR 32,500
converted at the time of writing
Description: A large Chinese green-ground famille-verte charger, Kangxi period
Expert remark: Compare the present lot on the left, seen from the top, with the famille-verte charger on the right. Compare the similar arrangement of the central medallion and floral patterns. Note the different form and slightly smaller size (55.5 cm).






清代中期硬彩《江山千古秀》碗

中國，十八世紀至十九世紀初。碗敞口，深弧腹，圈足。大碗通景描繪皇帝和朝臣出席端午節龍舟節場景。四名貴族和宮女乘坐龍舟，由六名女侍者拉著，後面是傳令官、騎馬的士兵和領導遊行的侍者。周圍人們饒有興趣地觀看。

來源：
英國古玩交易。

品相：
狀況極好，有一些磨損和小釉面凹陷、輕微黑點和邊緣淺缺口。 整體略有變形。

重量：13.6 公斤

尺寸：直徑
60.3
厘米


碗內同樣裝飾開光内人物刀馬場景，山水景觀。細節生動，設色華麗。


文獻比較:

比較一件相近的康熙粉彩龍舟圖瓶，直徑22.9 厘米，收藏於大都會藝術博物館，館藏編號14.40.85。


拍賣比較：

形制：相近
拍賣：紐約蘇富比，2023年4月19日，lot 23
價格：USD 35,560（相當今日
EUR 32,500
）
描述：清康熙綠地五彩開光瑞獸花鳥山水圖大盤
專家註釋：比較相似的中央圖紋和花卉圖案的佈置。請注意不同的外形和尺寸較小 (55.5 厘米)。