106 - A ‘FAMILLE-VERTE’ AND UNDERGLAZE-BLUE PORCELAIN ‘LANDSCAPE’ SNUFF BOTTLE LI JINHUA, QIANJIANG SCHOOL, DATED 1891

A ‘FAMILLE-VERTE’ AND UNDERGLAZE-BLUE PORCELAIN ‘LANDSCAPE’ SNUFF BOTTLE LI JINHUA, QIANJIANG SCHOOL, DATED 1891 To Be Sold Without Reserve Of elongated ovoid form with a waisted neck, flared mouth, rounded lip and recessed, slightly convex circular foot surrounded by a protruding, rounded, circular foot rim, painted with a continuous scene of a man in a partially covered skiff heading across a river towards a temple complex amidst trees on the foreground bank from which a plank bridge leads to a small island with a willow growing on it, the far shore hilly and foliated, inscribed where the two ends of the picture dissolve into white space in running script followed by the date, xinmao, and signature ‘painted by Li Jinhua,’ with one illegible seal of the artist, framed above and below between two underglaze-blue borders of formalized floral diaper with a gold band between border and painting Height: 8.1cm Provenance: Lawrence Yeung, Hong Kong, April 2004 Hugh Moss (HK) Ltd, 16th April 2006, (a copy of the original invoice available) The Qianjiang school flourished in the post-Taiping Rebellion period when several top ceramicists were left out of work by the closure of the Imperial potteries at Jingdezhen and started to produce a range of artistic wares in their own styles based upon the tradition of literati painting. Li Jinhua is not one of the artists listed so far in early studies of the school, but the style is very similar to other Qianjiang painters and even if a tighter school inspired others to paint similar wares they can be considered part of the broader school. Although other wares, including vessels and objects for the scholar’s studio are common from the school, snuff bottles are quite rare The poem here may be translated as: In the depths of the willows is the home of Su Xiaoxiao Su Xiaoxiao was a renowned courtesan (high class prostitute) of Hangzhou in the Southern Qi dynasty of the six dynasties (479-502 AD). She was renowned for her beauty and many refined talents. In China prostitution did not carry the same stigma as it acquired in the Christian West, and for the educated, there existed very well educated, cultured prostitutes, versed in social graces and skilled at music and other scholarly pursuits. They were well respected and, in a strange twist, often became the obsession of the scholar-class. The wealthy elite had wives and concubines on call at the snap of a finger for the usual range of sexual delights, who could not reasonably refuse, especially the concubines. Courtesans, however, were able to grant their favours only to a favoured few should they choose, and most upper-class courtesans did so choose, making them, in an ironic twist, less-readily available than the women of upper-class households and, therefore, more sought after. Many are the love stories concerning courtesans, including those who eventually married their wealthy, elite clients Ω This Lot was imported outside of the UK, under the Temporary Admission scheme. 5% import VAT will be charged on the ‘hammer’ price and 20% VAT will be charged on the ‘buyer’s premium’. If proof of export outside of the UK can be provided for this item within 3 months of the sale date, then the VAT can be refunded. Please contact us for further details and shipping advice