A PAIR OF FAMILLE VERTE 'LI BAI' WINE CUPS

Kangxi/early Yongzheng

Kangxi/early Yongzheng
Each of conical form rising from a short foot to the flared sides, delicately enamelled around the exteriors with the famous Tang dynasty poet, variously in a semi-reclining pose holding a wine cup and seated leaning against a qin, amongst wine jars and vessels, with boys in attendance, two wood stands, possibly zitan.
Each 6.7cm (2 5/8) diam. (4).

清康熙/雍正早期 五彩太白醉飲圖笠式盃一對

Provenance:
Parry Collection, London, and thence by descent

來源：
倫敦Parry家族收藏，並由後人保存迄今

The present pair of cups is rare and part of a small group of exquisitely enamelled polychrome wares, including cups, small bowls and saucer-dishes, finely decorated with scholars in idealised natural retreats, dating to the late Kangxi and early part of the Yongzheng reigns, circa 1720-1725.

Compare with two closely-related bowls, Yongzheng marks and period, the first decorated with a scholar and attendant by a riverbank gazing at geese, and the second with a scholar leaning on a pine tree, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, nos.155-156. See also a related polychrome enamelled bowl and cover, Yongzheng mark and period, enamelled with the Daoist Immortals Zhongli Quan seated near a pine tree and Zhang Guolao with his mule, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, acc.no.597&A-1907.

The Tang poet Li Bai (701-762), or Li Taibai, has an almost divine status in Chinese culture, being considered one of the greatest poets in a five-thousand year classical tradition. In one hagiographic account, while Li Bai's mother was pregnant with him, she had a dream of a great white star falling from heaven. Indeed, he was within his own lifetime considered to be a banished Immortal, a myth he no doubt encouraged, explaining his courtesy name of 'Taibai' or 'Venus'. Apart from his literary brilliance, he was known as a tippler who eventually drowned after falling from his boat one night having become very drunk before trying to embrace the reflection of the moon in the Yangzi river. He is thus often depicted dozing beside a large vat of wine.

Compare with a very similar famille verte cup, Kangxi/early Yongzheng, decorated with a continuous scene of a scholar seated on the bank of a river, which was sold at Christie's New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1723. See also a pair of related polychrome cups decorated with scholars, Yongzheng marks and period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 13 May 2010, lot 340.

盃敞口，直壁，呈斗笠式，外壁以五彩繪通景人物圖。對盃小巧玲瓏，輕盈適手，筆法瀟灑，素雅清新，繪工細膩，極富文人氣息，應屬於康熙晚期至雍正早期，即約1720至1725年間製作之精品。

北京故宮博物院藏兩件清雍正五彩人物圖小盃，其釉彩施用及繪畫風格均為類似，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：五彩·鬥彩》，香港，2007年，編號155及156；另對比英國維多利亞及阿爾伯特博物館藏一件清雍正五彩繪八仙人物蓋盌，其用彩及繪畫風格相類，館藏編號597&A-1907。

器身所繪人物或為「飲中八仙」主題，其一手持酒盃、袒胸露腹者應為詩仙李白。李白字太白，號青蓮居士，是中國歷史上最偉大的浪漫主義詩人，以豪飲聞名，且文思敏捷，常以酒助詩興。據載，賀知章、李適之、李璡、崔宗之、蘇晉、李白、張旭、焦遂八人俱善飲，性情豪放曠達，被稱為「酒中八仙人」；杜甫曾作《飲中八仙歌》一詩，描寫他們無拘無束的灑脫性格。

參考一例康熙晚期/雍正早期五彩人物圖笠式盃，外壁通景繪一高士倚坐岸邊，售於紐約佳士得，2011年3月24日，拍品編號1723。另見清雍正五彩「蒼松高仕」及「鷸蚌相爭」圖小盃兩件，售於倫敦邦瀚斯，2010年5月13日，拍品編號340，可資比對。