88 - Pair of green-glazed porcelain vases decorated with an old man and three goats, featuring the symbolic motif “Sanyang Kaitai,” China, 20th century

Pair of green-glazed porcelain vases decorated with an old man and three goats, featuring the symbolic motif “Sanyang Kaitai,” China, 20th century The green sgraffito background features a scrollwork motif and is decorated with polychrome glazes depicting an elderly man seated near three goats. This scene illustrates the classic auspicious theme of Sanyang Kaitai—三羊開泰. Based on a homophonic play on words between the term yang (goat/sheep) and the cosmological principle of Yang (light and vital energy), the presence of the three animals symbolizes the return of spring, the dissipation of sorrows, and the dawn of an era of peace, harmony, and prosperity. The figure of the old man adds an additional dimension of a wish for longevity (shou) and Taoist serenity. The interior of the vase is glazed turquoise, as is the base, which bears the apocryphal Qianlong mark in six-character zhuanshu script in blue underglaze within a white-glazed square. Height: 41.5 cm