27 - Lower section of a blue-and-white porcelain yen yen vase, China, Qing Dynasty, transitional period / Kangxi

Lower section of a blue-and-white porcelain yen yen vase, China, Qing Dynasty, transitional period / Kangxi Baluster-shaped with a rounded body and short neck, decorated in underglaze blue with landscapes featuring hollowed-out rocks, trees, vegetation, and architectural elements, enlivened by figures. The decoration depicts an episode from the legend of the West Chamber (Xixiang ji - 西厢记), titled “The Chance Encounter at the Temple ” (Qi feng - 奇逢), corresponding to the scene where Zhang Sheng (张生) and Cui Yingying (崔莺莺) meet at Pujiu Monastery. The two protagonists are depicted accompanied, respectively, by Hongniang (红娘) and the monk Fachong (法聪), while in the background appears a depiction of a seated Buddha in the sanctuary. The composition, organized into groups of figures separated by architecture, rocks, and trees, follows the tradition of the engraved illustrations in the illustrated editions of *The West Chamber* published in the late Ming dynasty, particularly the depictions of the *Qi feng* (奇逢) episode. This iconography was adopted on porcelain from the Transition period and the early Qing dynasty, with painters in Jingdezhen adapting the engraved designs to the curved surface of the vases. Height: 27 cm Star mark on the underside; neck missing; minor wear.