Famille Rose Porcelain Plaque Depicting “Wang Xizhi Admiring Geese,” Attributed to Wang Dafan (Republic of China Period, First Half of the 20th Century)

拍品描述

Dimensions: Porcelain plaque 51.5 cm high (approximately 20.28 inches, 1.69 feet) and 37.5 cm wide (approximately 14.76 inches, 1.23 feet); 20th century, Republic period，Condition & Provenance: The porcelain plaque is preserved in overall good condition, with the glazed surface, figural decoration, pine tree, rockwork, and famille-rose enamels remaining well defined. No obvious major cracks, significant porcelain losses, or extensive enamel loss are visible. Retained within its two-tone wood hanging frame with metal suspension ring; the frame shows natural age-related wear and handling consistent with display. Private collection, Vancouver.，Description: This finely painted famille-rose porcelain plaque depicts the celebrated Chinese literary subject “Wang Xizhi’s Love of Geese,” a theme closely associated with the cultivated world of calligraphy and classical scholarship. The porcelain body is finely potted with a smooth, luminous white glazed surface that provides an elegant ground for the delicately controlled famille-rose palette. The plaque is presented in an old two-tone wood frame, with a black outer border, reddish-brown inner molding, metal hanging ring, and solid wood backing, giving the work the presence of a complete traditional wall display. At the left, the title “羲之爱鹅” is written vertically in black enamel, followed by the dated inscription “Wuzi year, summer month, painted by Yishan Qiaozi Dafan Wang Kun,” together with a red artist’s seal. The composition centers on Wang Xizhi and a young attendant. Wang Xizhi is shown with his hair gathered in a traditional topknot, wearing a flowing lavender robe over an ivory-white garment and holding a white goose in his arms. His face, mustache, beard, and expression are rendered with controlled, exceptionally fine lines, giving the figure a quiet and scholarly presence. Beside him, the attendant wears an orange-red jacket with white trousers and black shoes, carrying a second goose while turning toward his master. The interaction between the two figures gives the scene an engaging narrative quality. The geese are largely reserved in the natural white of the porcelain, their plumage defined by restrained line work and their beaks highlighted in vivid orange-red enamel. A monumental old pine dominates the right side of the composition, its twisting trunk articulated with layered brown and black brushwork to suggest aged, textured bark. Dense clusters of pine needles are picked out in dark green and turquoise tones, while scholar’s rocks, low grasses, and gently colored ground complete the garden setting. The generous areas of untouched white porcelain are particularly effective, allowing the figures, pine, and rockwork to breathe within the composition and giving the plaque the open, elegant quality of a traditional Chinese literati painting. The combination of carefully modeled faces, fluid drapery, refined famille-rose color, and vigorous landscape brushwork creates a sophisticated balance between meticulous figural painting and expressive landscape technique, characteristic of accomplished Republic-period Jingdezhen porcelain painting.

图片