A FINE PAIR OF CHINESE YEN YEN VASES, YONGZHENG (1723-1735)

拍品描述

A FINE PAIR OF CHINESE YEN YEN VASES, YONGZHENG (1723-1735) The pair of vases is of classic yen yen form, each with a swelling lower body, waisted neck and flared trumpet mouth, painted in famille verte enamels on a white ground. The elegant vertical profile is balanced by a lively narrative scheme, the decoration moving between military action, courtly interiors and landscape details. The palette combines green, yellow, blue, iron-red, aubergine and black, applied with a lightness and precision characteristic of early eighteenth-century enamelled porcelain. The lower body is decorated with equestrian figures, banners and attendants, the principal riders shown in motion beneath large fluttering standards. Armour, saddlery, weapons and horses are picked out with bright enamels and fine outline, giving the scenes a crisp graphic quality. Around the neck, further figures appear in architectural and garden settings, including seated and standing figures with fans and objects, while pine, rockwork, clouds and small landscape motifs provide continuity between the separate episodes. The form of the yen yen vase, with its broad mouth and elongated neck, gives the painter distinct zones for decoration. A turquoise diaper band divides the shoulder from the neck, creating a formal break between the mounted scenes below and the more courtly figural episodes above. The footrims are simply finished, the undersides with a blue double circle, leaving the emphasis on the animated painted surfaces and the graceful silhouette of the vessels. Produced during the Yongzheng period, the pair reflects the refinement and technical control associated with porcelain of the early Qing imperial era. The figural subjects, with their riders, standards and attendants, belong to the broader Chinese pictorial tradition of historical, theatrical and martial narrative adapted for porcelain decoration. The pairing of these scenes with elegant vase forms demonstrates the continued importance of narrative painting in elite ceramic production. This fine pair of Yongzheng yen yen vases combines elegant form, animated figural decoration and finely controlled enamel painting, presenting a strong example of early eighteenth-century Chinese porcelain taste. Height: 44 cm

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