A RARE FAMILLE VERTE 'OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH' SAUCER DISH...
The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art 大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)中國藝術品收藏
A RARE FAMILLE VERTE 'OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH' SAUCER DISH
Three-character mark Wen Xin Zhai mark, Kangxi
Depicting three figures from the novel Shuihu Zhuan, Lu Zhishen in blue robe with curly hair, bald pate and Buddhist beads around his neck, Lin Chong in green cloth cap and scaly armour picked out in gilt, and Li Jun dressed as a fisherman with pole and basket. 20.5cm (8in) diam.
清康熙 五彩水滸人物圖盤
青花「問心齋」楷書款
Provenance: Sotheby's London, 16 May 1967, lot 140, acquired through Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 22 May 1967 (invoice)
John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.28
來源：倫敦蘇富比，1967年5月16日，拍品編號140，從倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.處獲得，1967年5月22日（據收據）
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號28
The present lot depicts three characters from the novel, Outlaws of the Marsh (Shuihu zhuan), also known as 'The Water Margin'. Considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it chronicles the adventures of a band of 108 outlaws who resist oppressive and corrupt government officials during the Song dynasty. Two prominent characters in the novel are Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong. Lu Zhishen (shown on the far left), also known as the 'Flowery Monk', is a not-so-devout Buddhist monk with exceptional strength and a volatile temper. Lin Chong (shown in the middle), known as 'Panther Head', is a skilled martial artist and military officer who becomes a fugitive after being framed for a crime he did not commit. Li Jun (shown right, with name tag Hun Jianglong), also known as 'Iron Flail', is another notable character. He is portrayed as a skilled martial artist and a courageous warrior. Li Jun is known for his loyalty to his friends and his fierce combat abilities, wielding a flail as his weapon of choice. These characters play significant roles in the narrative, contributing to its enduring popularity and cultural significance in Chinese literature.
The overglaze blue which can be seen on Lu Zhishen's robe as well as the accents of gold, were noted by Sir Michael Butler as features that appeared in enamel-only porcelain from the early Kangxi reign. See a related famille verte dish, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, with four characters from the same novel, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.435, pl.III.4.90. Compare to a set of four similarly decorated famille verte dishes, Kangxi, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, one illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics: Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, pp.102-103, no.81. Another dish in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated by Wang Qingzheng, Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, p.305, no.132.
See also a related famille verte 'Water Margin' dish, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 692. Another famille verte 'Water Margin' dish, Kangxi, was sold at Christie's London, 5 November 2019, lot 179.
Bid on this lot
The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art 大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)中國藝術品收藏
A RARE FAMILLE VERTE 'OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH' SAUCER DISH
Three-character mark Wen Xin Zhai mark, Kangxi
Depicting three figures from the novel Shuihu Zhuan, Lu Zhishen in blue robe with curly hair, bald pate and Buddhist beads around his neck, Lin Chong in green cloth cap and scaly armour picked out in gilt, and Li Jun dressed as a fisherman with pole and basket. 20.5cm (8in) diam.
清康熙 五彩水滸人物圖盤
青花「問心齋」楷書款
Provenance: Sotheby's London, 16 May 1967, lot 140, acquired through Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 22 May 1967 (invoice)
John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.28
來源：倫敦蘇富比，1967年5月16日，拍品編號140，從倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.處獲得，1967年5月22日（據收據）
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號28
The present lot depicts three characters from the novel, Outlaws of the Marsh (Shuihu zhuan), also known as 'The Water Margin'. Considered one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, it chronicles the adventures of a band of 108 outlaws who resist oppressive and corrupt government officials during the Song dynasty. Two prominent characters in the novel are Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong. Lu Zhishen (shown on the far left), also known as the 'Flowery Monk', is a not-so-devout Buddhist monk with exceptional strength and a volatile temper. Lin Chong (shown in the middle), known as 'Panther Head', is a skilled martial artist and military officer who becomes a fugitive after being framed for a crime he did not commit. Li Jun (shown right, with name tag Hun Jianglong), also known as 'Iron Flail', is another notable character. He is portrayed as a skilled martial artist and a courageous warrior. Li Jun is known for his loyalty to his friends and his fierce combat abilities, wielding a flail as his weapon of choice. These characters play significant roles in the narrative, contributing to its enduring popularity and cultural significance in Chinese literature.
The overglaze blue which can be seen on Lu Zhishen's robe as well as the accents of gold, were noted by Sir Michael Butler as features that appeared in enamel-only porcelain from the early Kangxi reign. See a related famille verte dish, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, with four characters from the same novel, illustrated by T.Canepa and K.Butler, Leaping the Dragon Gate: The Sir Michael Butler Collection of Seventeenth-Century Chinese Porcelain, London, 2021, p.435, pl.III.4.90. Compare to a set of four similarly decorated famille verte dishes, Kangxi, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, one illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics: Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, pp.102-103, no.81. Another dish in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated by Wang Qingzheng, Kangxi Porcelain Wares from the Shanghai Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1998, p.305, no.132.
See also a related famille verte 'Water Margin' dish, Kangxi, which was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 692. Another famille verte 'Water Margin' dish, Kangxi, was sold at Christie's London, 5 November 2019, lot 179.
