13 - A fine Chinese blue and white 'Han Xin' pear-shaped vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period 清康熙 青花韓信故事圖玉壺春瓶 | Santos Collection Delicately potted with a pear-shaped body supported by a short foot and rising to a slender cylindrical neck terminating in a flared rim, painted in vivid cobalt blue to depict a continuous figural scene in which Xiao He pursues Han Xin on horseback, his attendant stopping at the banks of a river as a boatman manoeuvres his small sampan Size:(18cm high) Qty: (1) Provenance: S. Marchant & Son, exhibited in 'Wan Li to K'ang Hsi, Chinese blue and white exhibition 1980', no. 71, with paper label; Santos collection 來源： 倫敦馬錢特，萬曆至康熙中國青花瓷展，1980年，展品編號71 [標籤]； 桑托斯收藏 Notes: Han Xin was a military general who served Liu Bang in founding the Han dynasty, and is regarded as one of the 'Three Heroes of the early Han Dynasty'. After considering himself unappreciated and his talents misused by the latter Han Xin decided to desert, but was persuaded to return by the chancellor Xiao He, who recognised his special talents. This is the genesis of the saying 'Xiao He chases Han Xin under the moonlight', and the scene resonated greatly with the scholar-officials of the late Ming dynasty, who also considered themselves underappreciated during the political turbulence during the Wanli period. A very similar vase from the Marsh Collection was sold at Bonhams New Bond Street, 3 November 2022, lot 42 [link]. Please also see a comparable, but slightly smaller, pear-shaped vase sold in the same rooms, 6 November 2014, lot 126 [link]. A vase bearing a comparable scene is illustrated by Sir Harry Garner in 'Oriental Blue and White', London, 1973, pl. 69A. See also a very similar vase illustrated in 'Folklore in Ming and Qing Porcelain', Hong Kong, 2019, pp.48-49. A further example may be found in the Frick Collection, see 'The Frick Collection, An Illustrated Catalogue', Volume VII, Porcelains, Princeton University Press, 1974, p.30, inventory number 65.8.191. A bottle vase with this scene is in the British Museum, no. Franks.139. 韓信是西漢開國將領，曾效力於劉邦，並被視為「早期西漢三大英雄」之一。由於認為自己未受到重視，且才華未被充分發揮，韓信決定投降，但在丞相蕭何的勸說下重返朝廷，蕭何識得韓信的特殊才華。此事也成就了「蕭何月下追韓信」的成語，而這一場景在明朝晚期的士大夫中引起強烈共鳴，因為他們在萬曆年間的政治動盪中，亦常感受到自己未被重用。 極為相似之一例，原屬 Marsh 收藏，曾於倫敦新邦德街邦瀚斯2022年11月3日拍賣，編號42。另見一件相類但尺寸稍小之梨形瓶，亦於同場拍賣會，2014年11月6日成交，編號126。 一件飾相類場景之瓶，載於 Sir Harry Garner，《東方青花瓷》，倫敦，一九七三年，圖版 69A。另見《明清瓷器與民俗》，香港，2019年，第48–49頁 ，錄一件極為相似之瓶。 另參見弗里克收藏，《弗里克收藏圖錄》，卷七《瓷器》，普林斯頓大學出版社，一九七四年，第30頁 ，藏品編號 65.8.191。另見一件繪飾同場景之瓶，藏於大英博物館，館藏編號 Franks.139。