504 - FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN FIGURE OF A FISHERMAN, REPUBLIC PERIOD

FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN FIGURE OF A FISHERMAN, REPUBLIC PERIOD Dimensions: Height 23,7 cm Wide 10 cm Depth 10 cm Weight: 672 grams A vividly modelled famille rose porcelain figure of a bearded fisherman, shown beside a dark tree-like support with a slender pipe raised towards his mouth. His long patterned outer robe falls over contrasting garments, and the expressive face, with arched brows, moustache and pointed beard, gives the figure a relaxed character. Pale enamels are enlivened by iron-red, black and touches of green, while the folds of the clothing introduce a lively sculptural rhythm. Fishermen belonged to a familiar repertoire of figures in Chinese art, often appearing alongside scholars and woodcutters as characters associated with life away from official ambition. Such subjects could suggest self-sufficiency, leisure and the cultivated appreciation of nature. In decorative porcelain of the late Qing and Republican eras, these themes were frequently translated into engaging three-dimensional figures. The contrast between the densely painted robe and the more simply treated face and hands is particularly effective. The figure's appeal lies in its distinctive personality and the care with which the painter has animated a relatively small porcelain sculpture.