A LARGE BRONZE ‘PEACH FESTIVAL’ AND ‘EIGHT IMMORTALS’ ARROW VASE, TOUHU, MING DYNASTY

拍品描述

A LARGE BRONZE ‘PEACH FESTIVAL’ AND ‘EIGHT IMMORTALS’ ARROW VASE, TOUHU, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. Finely cast, the compressed globular body rising from a splayed and tiered foot pierced with lobed apertures, surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck set with two tubular ‘target’ lugs. The body decorated in relief with luduan masks divided by flanges below a recumbent ox and luduan, separated by peaches borne on thick vegetal stems, all against a diaper-patterned ground. The neck decorated with Xiwangmu on a phoenix presiding over a banquet attended by the Eight Immortals (Baxian): Zhongli Quan, Lu Dongbin, Li Tieguai, Zhang Guolao, Cao Guojiu, Han Xiangzi, Lan Caihe, and He Xiangu, against dense thrashing waves, and framed by bands of keyfret. The lugs further with bands of hexagonal diaper within beaded edges. Dimensions: Height 49 cm The Queen Mother of the West, or Xiwangmu, is one of the most important goddesses of the traditional Chinese pantheon. According to legend, she dwelt in the Kunlun Mountains, located south of the Takla Makan desert in western China, where she was visited by a number of emperors and Daoist masters seeking immortality. Her most famous encounter reportedly occurred in 110 BC, when she journeyed to the court of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty (reigned 141-87 BC) and presented him with several magical peaches, which ripen only once every three thousand years. Said to confer immortality when eaten, these special peaches became the most common attribute of the Queen Mother. According to early sources, the peaches of immortality grow not only in the mountain home of the goddess but also on certain mythological islands in the ocean east of China, where other gods and immortals reside. The Peach Festival is a popular Daoist theme associated with the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu, who has the sole authority to grant Peaches of Eternal Life and bestow celebrants of the festival with great fortune. According to legend, the festival is held at the Jade Palace in the Kunlun Mountains in the Western paradise and only takes place every 3000 years. Here, groups of Immortals are pictured waiting in anticipation for Xiwangmu, who gracefully arrives on a phoenix. The auspicious message of this theme made the present vase suitable for presentation at important festivities. Vases of this type are for playing Touhu (literally ‘pitch-pot’), an ancient Chinese game in which players threw arrows or sticks into an ornate vessel from a fixed distance. Originating in the Warring States period, likely as a pastime among soldiers or archers, the game evolved from a contest of skill and a drinking diversion into a practice imbued with Confucian moral values, as recorded in the Book of Rites. Players competed by aiming for the vessel’s mouth or tubular lugs, with more difficult openings scoring higher points, while the loser was required to drink wine. Initially favored by the elite, Touhu spread widely and remained popular until the end of the Qing dynasty, and Touhu vases continued to be produced from the Song dynasty onward in materials such as bronze, cloisonné, and ceramic. For a further discussion, see Isabelle Lee, ‘Touhu: Three Millennia of the Chinese Arrow Vase and the Game of Pitch-Pot, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 56, p. 13-27. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 May 2022, lot 43 Price: HKD 318,000 or approx. EUR 37,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar modeling of the eight immortals. Note the size (55 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams London, 16 May 2013, lot 99 Price: GBP 12,500 or approx. EUR 21,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form and modeling of the immortals. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 11 November 2011, lot 1411 Price: GBP 11,250 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar modeling of the eight immortals. Note the size (57 cm).

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