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Chinese porcelain bowl decorated with scenes from The Western Chamber Romance, base with six character mark of Kangxi and of the period.

Stock Number: 4976

Very fine Chinese porcelain bowl decorated in underglaze cobalt blue (qinghua) with two scenes from The Western Chamber Romance separated by two areas with calligraphy, the base with six character mark of Kangxi and of the period, Qing dynasty, d. 16 cm, 6½ in. Bespoke box. 1.12189

Illustrated: Tang to Qing Ceramics, by A. Varela Santos, 2017/2018 catalogue, cat. 84.

The Western Chamber Romance by Wang Shifu (1271-1368) has enjoyed great popularity since it was written because it is a love story with happy ending.

Zhang Sheng, a young scholar went to Chang’an (Xi’an today), China’s capital at the time, to take his exams when he met at a temple Cui Yingying daughter of the prime minister and fell in love with her.

At that moment bandits kidnap them and asked for a ransom. In despair Yingying’s mother promised to marry her to whom saved her. Wang managed that but the mother refused because he was very poor.

Undeterred Sheng and Yingying overcame all the obstacles put in their way and married.

非常精美的青花碗,器身畫有來自西廂記的場景,中間書有詩文,器底書康熙六字款,清康熙,直徑16,高6½。

圖示: 《唐代至清代陶瓷》阿.瓦瑞拉.桑托斯, 2017/2018圖錄,編號,第84頁。

◆ 西廂記乃王實甫改編的愛情故事,因為結局美好所以流傳深廣,家喻戶曉。一位赴京(長安,今西安)趕考的年輕書生,張生,在一個寺廟里遇見了崔相國的女兒崔鶯鶯并墜入愛河。不料遭遇強盜綁架并索要贖金。鶯鶯的母親宣稱誰能救出鶯鶯便將女兒許配給他。張生成功救出鶯鶯卻不想崔夫人因張生貧窮而反悔。當然,最後張生和崔鶯鶯克服重重困難,有情人終成眷屬。