Famille Verte - exhibitions international

Famille Verte
CHINESE PORCELAIN
IN GREEN ENAMELS
The Famille Verte exhibition and accompanying catalogue
is about a special kind of Chinese porcelain. As the
19th-century French name implies, the decorations are
predominantly painted in different shades of bright green
enamels, combined with blue, yellow, red, black and
sometimes some gold. This type of porcelain was made
in the period c. 1680–1725, during the reign of Emperor
Kangxi (1662–1722), when production in the porcelain
kilns in Jingdezhen was at its height. As a new, modern type
of ware, famille verte enjoyed widespread appeal and was
produced for the domestic Chinese market as well as for
export to Europe.
Simply put, famille verte wares are extraordinarily fi ne
and beautiful objects. The colourful decorations of fl owers,
butterfl ies, mythical animals or Chinese fi gural scenes are
rendered in painstaking detail. In the West, this porcelain
with its strange and exotic subjects ranked among the best
available and was coveted by the wealthy. It enhanced their
status when proudly displayed in their interiors or when
used at the dinner table.
Nowadays, famille verte can be found in museums,
country houses, palaces and private collections all over
Europe and the USA. In the Netherlands, too, it constitutes
a substantial part of several museum collections of
Chinese ceramics, e.g., the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam,
the Municipal Museum in The Hague, the Boymans Van
Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, the Groninger Museum in
Groningen, and the Princessehof Museum in Leeuwarden.
Notwithstanding its high quality, its beauty and its
ongoing appeal, famille verte has never been the subject
of a monograph or exhibition in the West or in China.
This book is therefore an international milestone. It
features several essays on specifi c topics, for example,
an explanation of the fi gural scenes that depict episodes
from China’s most popular love story The Romance of the
Western Chamber.
The more than 175 objects were chosen for their wealth
of shapes and decorations; at the same time they constitute
a concise survey of the rich holdings of famille verte in
Dutch public collections.
The catalogue was written by Professor Emeritus
Christiaan J.A. Jörg (Leiden University), former curator at
the Groninger Museum and an internationally renowned
author and expert in the fi eld of Chinese export porcelain.
He has written more than 85 books, catalogues and articles
on Oriental export porcelain and lacquer.
€ 29,50
Christiaan J.A. Jörg
Famille Verte – Chinese Porcelain in Green Enamels
GRONINGER
MUSEUM
Christiaan J.A. Jörg
Famille Verte
CHINESE PORCELAIN
IN GREEN ENAMELS

Christiaan J.A. Jörg
Famille Verte
Chinese Porcelain
in Green Enamels

7 Foreword
9 Famille Verte
27 Verte
37 Flowers, Animals and Long Elizas
73 Verte
93
103 Powder Blue and Verte
115
119 Verte on Biscuit
131
145
163 The Armorial Porcelains
175 Later Verte
183
189 Chronology
191

1 - Bowl
China, late 16th–early 17th century
D. rim 14.8 cm, D. footring 5.8 cm, H. 6.5 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-RBK 1956-2
Formerly in the collection of A. Schoenlicht.
Bowl on a footring, with a slightly spreading rim. Decorated in
underglaze blue and doucai enamels with a continuous pattern of
flowering osmanthus branches. The outlines of the yellow flowers
in iron-red; the details and outlines of the green leaves in black
enamel. The inside is undecorated. On the base the six-character
Wanli mark in a double circle.
The restrained and rather formal decoration of a continuous
spray in enamels is reminiscent of Xuande and Chenghua palace
13
bowls, but is less common in the Wanli repertoire. The green
enamel is painted with great care; the outlines and details of the
leaves are in black. The evergreen osmanthus has white, sweetsmelling
flowers with dark-green leaves. In China it is associated
with lunar legends. For instance, Wu Kang wanted to become an
Immortal but never succeeded because of his impatience, and
he was punished by being sent to the moon to chop down the
osmanthus tree that grows there, but as the magical tree restored
itself after each axe blow, he will never finish his task.
Publ.: Amsterdam 1936, no. 414; Visser 1948, pl. 138,
no. 249a; London 1971, cat. 176, pl. 122; Jörg & Van
Campen 1997, cat. 22
Ref.: Chow 1980/81, vol. 3, no. 419

China, Zhangzhou kilns, late 16th century
D. 42.8 cm, D. footring 19.5 cm, H. 9.7 cm
Boymans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, inv. no. A 8843
Bequest Stibbe.
Deep dish on a footring, with spreading sides. The base unevenly
glazed, kiln sand adhering to the footring. The horizontal traces
of the turning wheel can be seen clearly. Decorated in iron-red,
green and turquoise enamels. In the centre a complex riverscape
with many tall, pointed rocks, boats, a bridge, pagodas and
a pavilion. On the sides six scalloped cartouches containing
water plants, pine trees or a river landscape, separated by half
flowerheads and a lozenge, all on a dense ground of flowerheads
and spirals. On the reverse four large ribbons in red.
14
This type of dish, usually called ‘Swatow’ but produced in the
Zhangzhou kilns in Fujian Province in south China, is remarkable
for its lavish use of green enamels, often combined with an
overglaze turquoise blue. The painting was done quickly and
is rather coarse, but has its own charm. The decorations often
imitate those on trade wares from Jingdezhen: in this case the
dishes in underglaze blue with the more organised riverscapes
with similar pointed rocks of the middle Wanli period. ‘Swatow’
dishes with a similar decoration seem to be unpublished.

China, Zhangzhou kilns, late 16th century
D. rim 44.5 cm, D. base 20.5 cm, H. 11 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1958-17
Gift M.A. de Visser, 1958
Deep ‘Swatow’ dish on a footring, with curved sides. Kiln sand
adhering to the base and footring. Decorated in overglaze
turquoise and red enamels; the outlines in black. In the centre a
riverscape with buildings in the foreground and steep mountains
in the background, connected by a channel or ‘balloon’. On the
sides four cartouches with a ‘flaming’ outline, filled with small
riverscapes, seal marks in red in between.
The design is known as the ‘Split Pagoda’ although its meaning
15
is far from clear. It may depict a dream about the Islands of
Bliss of a Daoist monk in the monastery(?); others think that
it is a gateway, or that it was derived from a Chinese map (ref.
Canepa), or was just a misdrawn version of a riverscape (ref. Kerr
& Mengoni). The steep, pointed mountains connect the design to
the riverscapes on late 16th-century export porcelain. The design
only occurs on large dishes that are not rare. They are known in
two qualities. One group, of which this dish is an example, is
painted in detail and shows boats, people and the architectural
elements. The other group is more sketchily painted. The seal
marks are indecipherable. The bright, turquoise/green enamels
are a characteristic feature.
Refs.: Harrisson 1979, pp. 109–11; Tokyo 1997, cats. 54–55;
Canepa 2006, cat. 39; Kerr & Mengoni 2011, pp. 124–25

China, 1645–60
D. 30.5 cm, D. footring 17.2 cm, H. 17 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-NM 6376
Bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I, 1814.
Royal Cabinet of Curiosities, transferred to the Rijksmuseum in 1883.
Box on a thick footring, with a domed cover. The insides of the
box and cover are undecorated, with a broad, uneven, unglazed
band around the rims. Decorated in underglaze blue and ironred,
three shades of green, yellow, black and aubergine enamels.
On the cover a seated dignitary on a terrace with attendants and
a kneeling man offering a scroll. On the sides of the cover and
box a multitude of children engaged in various pursuits, their
faces painted a very light iron-red.
This famous, exquisitely painted box is typical of the highquality
production of enamelled wares during the Shunzi period.
The many children (91 in all) represent the ‘one hundred sons
of Emperor Wen-wang’, and symbolise riches, abundance
and a secure old age. The 1814 provenance is of great
documentary value.
20
Publ.: London 1935, no.1988; London 1971, cat. 187, pl. 26;
Lunsingh Scheurleer 1974, fig. 36; Lunsingh Scheurleer 1985,
cat. 72; Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 77
Ref.: Kilburn 1981, fig. 110

21
10 - Jar
China, 1645–60
H. 46 cm, D. rim 20 cm, D. base 20.5 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-NM 6462
Bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I, 1814. Royal Cabinet of
Curiosities, transferred to the Rijksmuseum in 1883.
Baluster jar with a spreading foot and a wide neck. The base is
unglazed. The cover is missing. Decorated in three shades of
underglaze blue and various enamels, the outlines in black. On
one side a landscape with a lady and four maids, two with tall
fans. On the other side a terrace with six women making music,
and a dancer. A large rock and a banana tree close the scene.
On the shoulder a crackled-ice design, the neck with rocks and
flower sprays.
This is a good example of the group of sturdy, well-painted
polychrome wares that was developed for export during the reign
of Emperor Shunzhi. Large jars such as this are surprisingly
common in Western collections, proving that these wares were
traded, but dishes and other shapes are much more rare. As the
Dutch East India Company (VOC) no longer actively bought or
ordered porcelain during the 1650s, such jars were probably
shipped to Europe privately. In the Netherlands people used
these expensive and exclusive pieces for interior decoration, for
example, placing them in the fireplace in summer.
The decoration shows the Daoist goddess Xiwangmu, the Queen
Mother of the West, attended by four fairy maids. She is enjoying
a dance performed to music made by six female musicians.
Two are playing the flute, one is blowing a reed organ, and the
fourth is drumming, while to her right the leader of the group
holds a pair of wooden clappers. Behind her the sixth musician
strikes two rows of small bells on a stick. The background of
water with rocks and islands with pavilions depicts the Jasper
Pool in Xiwangmu’s magical paradise in the Western Kunlun
Mountains. The flying crane with a wooden counter in its beak
also represents longevity.*
Related depictions of music-making women appeared, for
instance, in the Wanli edition of the Pipaji (‘The Story of the
Lute’) an opera story by Gao Ming (1305-70) and the porcelain
painter may have based himself on such a woodcut illustration.**
Publ.: Lunsingh Scheurleer 1972, pl. 100; Campen 1996,
p. 22, no. 5; Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 75
Refs.: Bondy 1923, pl. 121; Wiesner 1981, no. 115; Little
1983, cat. 42; Lisbon 1984, pp. 67, 122; Marchant 1989,
no. 113; Kassel 1990, nos. 48, 50–52, 54; Krahl 1994, vol. 2,
no. 780; Li 1996, no. 644; Shimizu 2003, cats. 110–15;
Bartholomew 2006, pp. 179, 214, 221, 263; Pei 2004, pp. 52,
194–95; Kerr 1991, pp. 122–23; Avitabile 1992, cats. 261–
64; Pinto de Matos 1996, cats. 81-7; Arapova 2003, cat. 7;
Morena 2005, cats. 69–75
* With thanks to Helga Ellemeet, Wassenaar, for identifying
this scene.
** With thanks to Kees Kuiken for the literary reference.

15 - Jar
China, c. 1645–60
H. 20.8 cm, D. rim 8.8 cm, D. footring 12.5 cm
Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, inv. no. GVR
1929-163
Gift of R. D. Verbeek, 1929.
Ovoid jar on a footring, with a short neck
and a wide mouth. The base is unglazed,
with kiln sand adhering to the footring.
The horizontal luting line is visible on the
outside. Decorated in underglaze blue,
red and green enamels. The horizontal
sections are separated by circles in
underglaze blue. On the body a pattern
of scales with four reserved medallions
featuring different flowering plants, with
facing cloud motifs between. Around the
foot a scroll border. On the shoulder a
band with triangular striped scales and a
broader band with flower-and-leaf scrolls
on a ground with the ‘crackled-ice’ or
‘stone-wall’ pattern. Around the mouth a
‘flame’ border.
As most of Verbeek’s pieces, this jar was
collected in Indonesia, the former Dutch
Indies. The shape and measurements are
28
similar to those of the underglaze-blue
jars with a Kraak body and a Transitional
design, while the dense decoration
and saturated green enamel is in the
Shunzhi style. Made for the inter-Asian
market, it is less refined than porcelains
for domestic Chinese clients. A jar with
a related decoration is in the Butler
Family Collection, UK. For Verbeek as a
collector, see Campen 2003.
Refs.: Pinto de Matos, 1996, cat. 73;
Butler, Curtis & Little 2002, cat. 11

China, 1680–1700
D. rim 37.4 cm, D. footring 22 cm, H. 7.1 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1946-652
Dish on a footring, with curved sides. Decorated in famille
verte enamels. In the centre a flower medallion within a dense
pattern showing four groups of rocks and peonies. The sides
with spiralling flower sprays, the flowers alternately bending up
or down. On the reverse four flower sprays in enamels. Marked
on the base with a large underglaze-blue fungus (lingzhi) in a
double circle.
This sturdy dish is a good example of the export wares for southeast
Asia, replacing the earlier Swatow dishes. A similar dish is
in the Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden (ref. Ottema).
Refs.: Ottema 1946, fig. 210d; Harrisson 1995, figs. 61–67
29
China, 1680–1700
D. rim 33 cm, D. footring 20 cm, H. 6.5 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1929-340
On permanent loan from the Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden.
Dish on a channel footring, with curved sides and a spreading
rim. Decorated in famille verte enamels. In the centre a flower
medallion within a dense pattern of twisting leaf sprays confined
by narrow bands. A band with floral motifs around the foot and
the outside rim, four flower sprays between.
For more on the channel footring, see p. 27.

Flowers, Animals
and Long Elizas
Most famille verte objects are decorated with flowers, flowering
plants, blossoming trees, all kinds of animals including mythical
ones, and slender Chinese women strolling in a garden, often
accompanied by a small boy. Porcelain with flower and plant
motifs, as well as landscapes without animals or figures, could
be sold to Islamic customers; objects with animals and especially
figures did well in the West, although a strict division certainly
should not be made.
For the Chinese, nearly all the motifs had symbolic and
auspicious connotations but these were largely lost in other
cultural contexts. Only recently have collectors and researchers in
the West paid more attention to their meaning and some general
surveys on the subject have been published. 1 Sometimes the
symbolism seems obvious - the many flower petals of a peony
represent many riches, many days to live and many affirmations
of a good reputation. However, the peony is also the flower of
spring and hence of a beautiful young woman, which in turn
led to explicit sexual connotations. Peonies and butterflies
depicted together symbolise a maiden and young men attending
to her. 2 Wordplays are even more complicated. 3 In Chinese, a
character can be pronounced in different ways and, depending
on the tonality, has a different meaning. For instance, fu means
‘bat’, but spoken in another tone it means ‘blessings’. Therefore
the depiction of a bat as part of the decoration on a dish is
synonymous with wishing the owner of the dish good luck,
riches, a long life, etc. Yu is another homonym, meaning ‘fish’
as well as ‘abundance’, and hence as a motif is a wish for riches
and many other good things. Most symbols, wordplays and the
more complex linguistic rebuses convey good wishes for a long
life, good health, many sons, riches, respect, prestige, etc.
When dissecting even a simple Chinese decoration on porcelain
in this way, it is evident that it contains a multitude of such
wishes, almost to the point of being so conventional that they
become meaningless.
Apart from studying the individual flowers and their
meanings, it might also be interesting to regard the many flowers
and flowering plants depicted on a piece of famille verte as
symbolising a grand total, a reflection of a Chinese garden. The
Chinese regard gardens as miniature landscapes, where a balance
is attained between yin and yang, and the flow of rejuvenating
cosmic energy (qi) is evident. The birds, butterflies, insects and
other animals only add to this feeling of a harmonious garden that
stimulates one’s lifeforce, spirit and intellect. 4
Deep-rooted symbolism is attached to mythical animals
37
such as the dragon (long), phoenix (feng huang) and kylin, to
mention the three best known. As Eberhard writes: ‘Combining
as it does all sorts of mythological and cosmological notions,
the dragon is one of China’s most complex and multi-tiered
symbols’. 5 It is benevolent and represents the male essence
(yang), strength, wisdom and fertility. It also symbolises the
East where the sun rises, rain and sea, and heaven and power.
As an Imperial symbol it has five claws; four-clawed dragons
are a more general symbol. ‘Phoenix’ is the incorrect Western
word for the richly coloured, long-tailed bird (not to be confused
with the pheasant) often seen on famille verte. Associated with
male connotations in early periods, it later became a symbol of
the female essence (yin), of sexuality, of peace, prosperity and
benevolence. Combined with the dragon, it denotes the Empress.
The kylin is another legendary and auspicious animal that has
the scales of a dragon, the body of a deer and the hooves and
tail of an ox. It is considered a good omen, appearing only to the
righteous, and symbolises law, integrity, compassion, wisdom and
good governance.
Slender Chinese women in a garden may reflect a literary
source, or may merely be depictions of beautiful ladies, but in
combination with a dancing boy, his arms in the long sleeves
of his garment, this motif probably comes from a deeper, older
cultural layer. As recent research has shown, the dancing boy is
connected to New Year’s festivities and exorcism practises. 6 In
this context, the woman may be a personification of Xiwangmu,
the Queen Mother of the West and a symbol of immortality. In
the Netherlands, the lady and the boy were known by their Dutch
names ‘Lange Lijs’ and ‘Zotje’, names that were taken over in
English as ‘Long Eliza’ and ‘the Fool’. They were the epitome
of Chinese exoticism for the Western beholder and served as a
model for numerous imitations in chinoiserie settings.
1 One of the first surveys is Williams 1976, originally published in Beijing
in 1931. More concise is Eberhard 1986, originally published in German,
Cologne 1983. For recent publications, see Bartholomew 2006 and Ströber
2011.
2 Eberhard 1986, pp. 231–32.
3 See Fang 2004.
4 I would like to thank Lida Theunisz, Leiden, for this suggestion.
5 Eberhard 1986, p. 83.
6 A publication on the subject of children’s plays as depicted on Chinese
porcelain is being prepared by Mrs Lida Theunisz, Leiden.

25 - Flowerpot
China, late 17th century
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-RBK 16319-A
H. 27 cm, D. rim 24.5 cm, D. footring 13.9 cm
Formerly in the collection of the Marquis of Exeter, Burghley House, UK. Christie’s
London, 7/8 June 1888, lot 179. Bequest Mr and Mrs J.C.J. Drucker-Fraser, 1944.
Flowerpot on a thick, crudely finished footring, with steep sides,
and an everted flat rim. Decorated in famille verte enamels
including overglaze blue with two flying birds, a pheasant on a
tall rock and flowering plants. Around the rim a zigzag border
with small flowers. Glazed inside. In the bottom a roughly cut out
hole. The Museum has another, identical flowerpot.
Seventeenth-century Kangxi porcelain flowerpots are rare,
especially enamelled examples. The shape is based on Chinese
stoneware flowerpots that were produced for centuries in a
traditional way without many alterations, and were used to
embellish Chinese gardens and houses. Kilburn illustrates a
related, shorter example decorated in early famille verte enamels.
Publ.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 160
Refs.: Kilburn 1981, no. I73; Sotheby’s New York, 23/24 May
1974, lot 455; Sotheby’s London, 21 February 1978, lot 23
38
26 - Covered jar
China, c. 1700
H. 26.5 cm, D. rim 9.4 cm, D. footring 14.2 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-NM 6437
Bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I, 1814. Royal Cabinet of
Curiosities, transferred to the Rijksmuseum in 1883
Ovoid jar on a footring, with an unglazed mouthrim and a domed
cap-cover. Decorated in famille verte enamels. Around the foot
a flame and a scroll border, on the shoulder a ruyi and similar
scroll border. On the body flower sprays, five large cartouches
containing antiquities and two fan-shaped panels with a figure
near two towers. On the cover a lappet pattern with antiquities,
a flower vase on the top. Marked on the base with a lozenge in
green enamels within a double circle. The museum has another
identical jar (inv. no. RBK 6436) and a smaller example (height
20 cm, inv. no. RBK 6438).
Transitional jars of this shape with cap-covers were salvaged in
great quantities from the Hatcher wreck (c. 1643, ref. Sheaf
& Kilburn), and this type represents a further evolution. They
became fashionable at the end of the 17th century and were
produced for export in a great variety of dimensions, colours and
decorations. The smaller examples could be used as tea caddies;
larger jars such as this had a decorative function in the Western
interior. Several examples of this shape, and one even with the
same design in underglaze blue, were salvaged from the No. 1
Wanjiao shipwreck, found in the East China Sea near Fuzhou
(Pingtan County, Fujian Province), and are dated to c. 1700.
Publ.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 198
Refs.: Lunsingh Scheurleer 1980, fig. 159; Sheaf & Kilburn
1988, pls. 6, 63, 82; Wanjiao 2006, no. 11, see also nos.
6–10, 12–14, 19, 20.

90 - Brush pot
China, early 18th century
H. 14.6 cm, D. rim 11.2 cm, D. base 11.3 cm
Municipal Museum, The Hague, inv. no. OCVO 34-1969
Ex collection H.M. Knight, The Hague.
Cylindrical brush pot, the slightly convex base unglazed, except
for the indented middle part and the wide outer band. Decorated
in famille verte enamels with, on one side, a representation of
Kuei Xing (K’uei Hs’ing), the horned deity of examinations and
literature. He is depicted moving forward over the waves, while
balancing on a large carp, a writing brush in one hand and an
official cap (or a seal) in the other. A bundle of books is tied by
the flying ribbon. The other side is inscribed with a cryptic poem
(not yet translated) written in black enamel.
89
The Tang-dynasty student Zhong Kuei successfully passed all
his examinations but was denied the requisite honours because
he was extremely ugly. He tried to drown himself but was saved
by a fish and became a Daoist deity. The patron of students and
scholars, he guarantees success and rewards, while the carp,
swimming upstream and braving rapids, symbolises perseverance
and achievement. He bends forward like a runner, his left leg
raised behind him, thus representing the character gui, meaning
‘successful scholarship’ (ref. Curtis).
A brush pot was used to hold a scholar’s writing utensils and had
a permanent place on his desk. Decorated with the image of Kuei
Xing, such a brush pot would have been an excellent present for
a student before or after his examinations. For another brush pot
with Kuei Xing, see the previous entry, cat. 89.
Publ.: Amsterdam 1954, no. 355; Jansen 1976, cat. 314
Ref.: Curtis 1995, p. 118

91 - Plate
China, c. 1700
D. rim 22.4 cm, D. footring 12.4 cm, H. 2.7 cm
J.M van Diepen Foundation, Slochteren, inv. no. P 1694
Plate on a footring, with a flat rim. Decorated in famille verte
enamels. In the centre a horseman with his servant, a building in
the background surrounded by a fence, On the left a table with
‘precious objects’ such as a flower vase, an incense-burner and
a brush pot; books, a weiqi board, a lute wrapped in a cloth, and
scrolls with ribbons. On the sides a pattern of small lotus scrolls.
On the rim four cartouches containing flowers and scrolls,
alternating with four groups of ‘precious objects’, such as book
scrolls, incense burners, a sceptre, a wrapped lute, and a vase.
On the reverse three flower sprays in red and green. The base
marked with an incense-burner in a double circle in underglaze
blue.
Referring to The Romance of the Western Chamber, the scene
depicts the arrival of Student Zhang and his servant at the
monastery (see pp. 93–94). The various objects, characteristic of
Chinese literati, indicate his future as a successful scholar.
Publ.: Jörg 2002, cat. 72
90
92 - Plate
China, 1700–20
D. rim 22 cm, D. footring 12.3 cm, H. 3.3 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1945-159
Plate on a footring, with wide and narrow lotus-shaped panels in
low relief on the sides, and an everted scalloped rim. Decorated
in famille verte enamels with a woman with long feathers in her
hair on horseback, a soldier with a flag on foot and the upper
half of a tent in the foreground. The panels filled with a running
soldier, a flower sprig or a flowerhead on a ‘crackled-ice’ ground.
On the reverse two flower sprays. The museum has five more
similar plates.
The woman is Mu Guiying, wearing the long feathers of a military
commander; the soldier with the large flag and the military tent
are further indications that the scene is taken from the Yangjia-jiang
Yanji (The Command Troops of the Yang Ye Family)
attributed to the Ming author Yong Damu. The story tells how
Mu Guiying, of low birth, is determined to marry the sixth son of
Yang Ye, one of the Song’s Emperor’s most esteemed generals
who was betrayed by court officials and died while fighting the
invading Khitan tribes. The girl was denied her wish, but she
captures the son, Yang Zhongbao, and will not let him go unless
he agrees to marriage. Her martial skills earn her much respect
and eventually, when the men of the Yang family have been
defeated in battle, she successfully leads an army of female
warriors against the Khitan Liao invasion in the north.
Ref.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 79

In China, at the end of the 12th century, a certain Dong Jieyuan
wrote a book in which he compiled existing text variants of
popular theatrical plays, romances and ballads recounting
a well-known love story. It was published as the Xixiangji
zhugongdiaoi (The Story of the Western Wing in All Keys and
Modes). In turn, this book was adapted and expanded by
Wang Shifu (c. 1250–1300), a playwright, who published
it as a comedy play in eight books, called the Xixiangji (The
Romance of the Western Chamber). Although the Xixiangji
entered the realm of classical Chinese literature, the story
itself remained immensely popular among all classes in China.
Even as recently as the 1980s Peking opera companies still
staged performances, movies were made and even comics
used the theme. Without exaggeration it can be stated that
the Xixiangji is an essential part of China’s oral, literary and
theatrical heritage. 1
Because the story was so popular in China, the most
important scenes became conventionalised images and were
easily recognised by the general public. Woodblock illustrations
in the many editions also concentrated on core scenes, thus
creating a corpus of motifs that was widely used by painters,
silk embroiderers, lacquer workers and other craftsmen.
Porcelain, too, was often decorated with episodes from The
Western Chamber, although depicting the scenes on rounded
surfaces (vases, pots) or centralised in a circle (dishes, plates)
required compositional skills that were quite different from
those of the woodblock carvers. 2 According to Clunas, the first,
rare examples in underglaze blue occur in the 14th and early
16th centuries, 3 but porcelain painted with scenes depicting
episodes from The Western Chamber, in underglaze blue as
well as in enamels, only became a widespread fashion in the
Shunzhi period (1644–61). These porcelains heralded its
popularity on Kangxi (1662–1722) famille verte wares when
wares with these depictions were not only produced for the
domestic Chinese market but were also exported to Europe.
Even though Europeans did not understand the cultural context
of the decorations, they still regarded such wares as interesting
and exotic.
It has been suggested that the porcelain painters copied
directly from woodblock engravings in books or from single
sheet prints for The Western Chamber scenes. This is
disputable because quite often the painted episodes contain
mistakes, confusing, for example, the main characters or
the paraphernalia that make them recognisable. Perhaps
the porcelain painter, being illiterate, used images on other
93
media, but he must surely have had a general idea of the
characters and the succession of the scenes, as is evident on
the enamelled famille verte bowl and matching dish in the
Groningen Museum (cat. 94). Though not exactly precise, the
romance is told in a series of 24 panels in three bands that
follow each other like a modern comic, depicting the essential
scenes in the proper sequence. Such an extensive depiction of a
story like this is very rare; 4 pieces with four (bowls), six or eight
scenes (vases, pots) are more prevalent. Although we have no
information on the original production orders, it is possible that,
for instance, several bowls were painted with different scenes,
creating a series depicting the complete story. Of course, such
series were scattered after a while and we are fortunate if we
still have two matching pieces (cats. 84, 85). Usually, only a
single scene was painted in the centre of dishes and plates,
although a few more could sometimes be added in small border
panels. Bowls of a normal size sometimes display more scenes
in panels on the outside, but rarely more than six. In such
cases, series of several dishes or bowls with successive scenes
might initially have been made.
Emperor Kangxi (r. 1662–1722) effectively suppressed the
Ming rebellions around 1683 and the porcelain industry in
Jingdezhen could begin anew. Porcelain decorations with
hidden political messages and allusions to the ‘good old Ming
times’ were unwelcome and new sources for decorations had
to be found. 5 Besides a more formal style, figural scenes
were continued, if only to meet the demand from the rapidly
growing group of Western customers. The ‘innocent’ (although
in Chinese eyes rather sexy) Romance of the Western Chamber
proved to be an ideal source of motifs and seems to have been
more popular than any other theatrical scenes or literary stories.
Strangely, its popularity as a porcelain decoration quickly
disappeared after the reign of Kangxi and only few examples
from the Yongzheng (r. 1723–35) and Qianlong (r. 1736–95)
periods are known.
The ‘boy meets girl’ love story takes place during the Tang
dynasty (618–907), when it was first recorded (see note 1), and
can be condensed as follows:
Book 1. The bright but impoverished student Zhang Junrui (or
Zhang Gong) is travelling with his servant to the capital to sit
his examinations and they stop for the night at a monastery
outside the walls of the city of Puzhou. While he is being shown
around he encounters the beautiful Cui Yingying (‘Oriole’ in

European versions), who stays there with her widowed mother,
her maid Hongniang (‘Crimson’) and her younger brother
Huanlang. Student Zhang falls in love, decides not to travel on
and rents a room in the monastery. He meets Yingying while
she is contemplating the moon and recites a poem for her, but
she leaves. He sees her again at a memorial service for Mr Cui
in the temple. Then the news comes that mutinying soldiers
are nearby.
Book 2. The soldiers, led by Sun Biao (‘Flying Tiger General’),
besiege the monastery. The defences of the monastery and
counterattacks by the fighting monk called Huiming are to no
avail and Sun Biao demands that Yingying be given to him. On
the condition that Mrs Cui will treat him as a relative – and thus
as her daughter’s possible fiancé – Student Zhang writes a letter
to his friend General Du Que (‘White Horse General’), asking for
help. Huiming is sent secretly to deliver it.
Book 3. Du Que rallies to the call, subdues the soldiers and
executes Sun Biao. At the festive dinner celebrating the
victory, Mrs Cui does indeed treat Zhang as a relative, but not
as a possible son-in-law. When boldly asking the hand of her
daughter, he is told she is promised to a cousin, Zheng Heng.
Zhang is struck with grief and wants to leave the monastery, but
the maid Hongniang convinces him to play his zither (qin) to
attract Yingying’s attention.
Book 4. That evening, Zhang sings and plays the zither in his
room while Yingying walks in the garden and listens. She is
moved by his longing but flees when he comes outside to meet
her. The following day he asks Hongniang to take a letter to her
mistress. She returns with a letter for him, and he mistakenly
thinks that Yingying has invited him to her apartment in the
Western Wing. He rushes out, jumps over the wall surrounding
the garden to her apartment but is harshly reprimanded by
Yingying for his bad behaviour.
Book 5. Consumed by his love for her, Zhang falls seriously ill.
Yingying realises that she is the cause and sends Hongniang
with a poem, promising she will come to him that night. She
keeps her promise, they make love and begin a relationship.
Book 6. The mother learns about the affair and furiously
punishes Hongniang for acting as the go-between. But the
maid convinces her that it is best to accept the marriage. All
rejoice, but Student Zhang still has to sit his examinations
and he leaves for the capital. That night at an inn he dreams
that Yingying and her maid are with him and that soldiers are
threatening them once again.
Book 7. Zhang passes his exams. Being ill, he sends his servant
with the news to the monastery and follows later. Meanwhile,
Yingying’s cousin Zheng Heng has arrived in Puzhou, claiming
her as his bride and lying that graduate Zheng has married a
minister’s daughter. Mrs Cui believes him, but Zhang arrives
while they are preparing for the marriage. There is nothing he
can do and everyone is unhappy.
Book 8. At night, Zhang, Yingying and Hongniang meet and
consider suicide. Huiming joins them and suggests asking
General Du Que (who has been appointed governor) for help
again. They flee to him in secret, explain the situation and the
next morning all appear at court where cousin Zheng Heng
claims his bride. Du Que condemns him and he commits
suicide. Then nothing obstructs the happy marriage.
94
The 24 individual scenes on the Groningen bowl and dish can
be identified if we take this overview as a guideline. 6 They begin
on the left in the outside row on the dish and in the top row
on the bowl and then descend towards the centre. In general,
the interiors show a horizontally organised stage-like setting,
allowing voyeuristic views in a room or a garden; compositional
devices like walls are used to divide the different spaces.
1 For a survey of the literary sources, a compilation of the story and a new
translation of the earliest known edition of the Xixiangji (1498), including
the woodblock prints, see: Stephen H. West & Wilt L. Idema, The Story
of the Western Wing, Berkeley etc. 1995. The first European translation
was by Stanislas Julien, Si-siang-ki: ou, l’histoire du pavillon d’occident,
Geneva 1878–80. The earliest source for the story, the Yingying Zhuan
(The Biography of Yingying) by Yuan Zheng (779–831) dates from the Tang
dynasty (618–907) and therefore that period forms the background for the
narrative. I have taken the compilation of the eight books largely from West &
Idema.
2 For the first – and to date the only – monograph of ‘Western Chamber’
themes on porcelain, see Craig Clunas, ‘The West Chamber: a Literary Theme
in Chinese Porcelain Decoration’, in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic
Society, vol. 46 (1981–82), London 1983, pp. 69–86.
3 Clunas, op. cit. (note 2), figs. 1 and 3. Both pieces are in the Victoria &
Albert Museum, London. Yibin Ni rejects this identification and points to two
enamelled 16th-century pieces as the earliest representations on porcelain
in his essay ‘The Shunzhi Emperor and the Popularity of Scenes from the
Romance of the Western Wing on Porcelain’, in Butler, Curtis & Little 2002,
pp. 68–81.
4 Clunas, op. cit. (note 2), pl. 16, shows an underglaze blue vase in the
Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Ströber 2001, cat. 42, illustrates
a famille verte fish bowl. I have refrained here from referencing the many
pieces around the world that only depict a few scenes.
5 For the subject of hidden political messages in porcelain decoration, see
Curtis 1995.
6 For the identification of the scenes I gratefully made extensive use of the
unpublished M.A. thesis of my former student Waiyin Sun, The Romance
of the Western Chamber Illustrated on Chinese Porcelain from the Kangxi
Period (1662–1722), Leiden University 2002.
Fig. 1. Plate, Maastricht earthenware, c. 1900, D. 26 cm, decorated with the ‘Timor’
design in transfer print, marked ‘Maastricht Petrus. regout’. The decoration depicts
scene 16. Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1930-0467

China, c. 1700
Bowl: D. rim 34 cm, D. footring 16 cm, H. 18 cm
Saucer: D. 50.8 cm, D. footring 30.5 cm, H. 8 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. bowl 1918-29, inv. no. saucer 2003-2.
Purchased with the support of the Rembrandt Society and the Friends of the
Groninger Museum.
95

Scene 1 (Book 1). Here we see Student Zhang on horseback travelling to the capital. His servant is walking and carries his master’s belongings, including a pile of books on a
pole on his shoulder. Zhang wears a scholar’s black cap to distinguish him. The overglaze blue enamel on his coat has partly disappeared. This is the only scene on the bowl/dish
that in its iconography closely follows a known woodblock print (fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Woodblock print, depicting scene 1 from the
1468 edition of the Xixiangji.
Scene 2 (Book 1). Mrs Cui, dressed in yellow and
purple, is seated in her apartment in the monastery;
her son Huanlang stands beside her. Yingying
approaches her, Hongniang looks away. Most of the
main characters are introduced in the first two scenes.
98
Scene 3 (Book 1). Zhang is shown around by the abbot
who holds a flywhisk. He sees Yingying and Hongniang
strolling outside, and although Yingying keeps her fan
high in a modest gesture to hide her face, Zhang falls
in love. Hongniang seems to point with her fan and
finger to a butterfly, a symbol of emotions.

Scene 4 (Book 1). Zhang, seated, asks permission to
stay. The abbot is seated opposite him, a monk enters,
holding a tray with cups.
Scene 7 (Book 2). Sun Biao, the leader of rebellious
troops, has been informed that a beautiful young
maiden resides in the monastery. He leads his soldiers
in a siege and announces that he will attack unless
she is given to him.
Scene 10 (Book 3). Du Que and Huiming chase the
rebel Sun Biao. There was not enough room in this
panel to depict the two clashing armies as well.
Scene 5 (Book 1). Zhang recites a love poem in the
garden, holding a fan. Yingying and Hongniang listen
from behind a wall. They are difficult to distinguish
because the colour of their dresses is different from
those in other scenes.
Scene 8 (Book 2). Zhang has given the fighting monk
Huiming (with a stick) a letter asking General Du Que
for help against the rebellious troops before leaving.
The abbot (in green in this panel) stands behind them.
The episodes in which the threat was announced
followed by a defensive fight that was to no avail,
have been omitted here.
Scene 11 (Book 3). Hongniang addresses Zhang who
has withdrawn to his room after Mrs Cui rejected him
as a fiancé. Hongniang tells him that she will help
him to win Yingying’s heart. The wall is used to divide
the depiction into an interior and exterior so that it
resembles a scene from a theatrical stage.
99
Scene 6 (Book 1). Zhang, standing behind a table
with a red candle, attends the memorial service for
Mr Cui in the temple (left, in green). The praying
abbot stands in front of the table; Huanlang (in blue)
is behind him. Yingying holds her sleeve in front of
her face in the traditional gesture of weeping. Three
monks make music, one beating a drum on a stand,
another playing a flute.
Scene 9 (Book 2). The monk, kneeling, delivers the
letter to the general. Du Que stands in front of a
screen; a military tent can be seen at left.
Scene 12 (Book 3). Hongniang pulls at Zhang’s sleeve
and takes him outside to play the zither for Yingying.
The small figure carrying the zither is the servant girl,
although the painter did not succeed in depicting that
long musical instrument which is one of a scholar’s
prized possessions. Perhaps he was unfamiliar with it
in the (printed?) model he used.

105
96 - Jar
China, early 18th century
H. 46 cm, D. mouthrim 11.8 cm, D. footring 15 cm
Boymans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, inv.
no. A 7309
Bequest Philips-Van der Willigen, 1942.
Baluster-shaped jar on a footring, with
a wide neck, the domed cover with
a knob. Four large scalloped panels,
painted in enamels, including overglaze
blue, with flowering plants, reserved
on an underglaze powder-blue ground.
Four smaller reserved cartouches on
the shoulder contain landscapes or
flowering plants in enamels; four similar
cartouches on the cover. The powder blue
has a worn, thinly painted decoration
in gold of lotuses and flowering plants
in cartouches. On the base an oval
paper label with the text: ‘S. Alberge
et fils/Antiquaires/Plaats 11/ La Haye/
Hollande’. Alberge was one of the
leading antiques dealers in The Hague in
the 1920s.
The jar may originally have been part of a
set. It is a characteristic example of the
powder blue and famille verte group.

China, 1700–20
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-NM 6360
D. rim 15 cm, H. 11.5 cm
Bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I, 1814. Royal Cabinet of
Curiosities, transferred to the Rijksmuseum in 1883.
Bowl on a footring, the slightly domed cover with a knob. The
two handles shaped as dragons’ heads. Covered with underglaze
powder blue with a decoration of flowering plants in gold. On the
body and cover two large, fan-shaped panels in reserve filled with
106
river scenes in familie verte enamels. The museum has another
identical piece.
Covered bowls with this type of decoration are rare. They may
have been part of a set and were probably used as tureens at
the dinner table. Reichel illustrates a comparable piece in light
brown from the Dresden Collection, inventoried in 1721.
Publ.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 157
Ref.: Reichel 1990, no. 75

98 - Pair of vases
China, 1700–20
H. 25 cm, D. mouth 6.4 cm, D. footring 8 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-RBK 15834
Formerly in the collection of R. May. Acquired by the State in 1944, transferred to the
Rijksmuseum in 1946.
Two cylindrical vases on a footring, the wide cylindrical neck
with an everted rim. Covered with underglaze powder blue,
with two flower vases on stands in gold. Around the shoulder
a diaper pattern with reserves filled with some of the ‘hundred
107
antiquities’, on the neck flower sprays. On either side a large
vertical panel with indented corners, each decorated in famille
verte enamels with a Chinese lady on a terrace beside rocks and
flowering plants, one holding a flower sprig, the other a fan and a
sprig. This vase has a traditional and well-known shape, but the
powder blue variety with a familie verte decoration is more rare.
Publ.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 153
Refs. : Liang-yu 1991, p. 29; Cincinnati 1995, p. 656

China, 1700–20
H. 27.5 cm, D. rim 3.3 cm, D. footring 7 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam,
inv. no. AK-NM 6368-A, B & C
Bequest of the widow of J.T. Royer to King William I,
1814. Royal Cabinet of Curiosities, transferred to the
Rijksmuseum in 1883
Three bottles on footrings, with pearshaped
bodies, and long narrow
cylindrical necks. Covered with a
dark powder blue glaze, with three
reserved cartouches painted in famille
verte enamels with flowering plants, a
blossoming tree or antiquities. Around
the neck a band of meander motifs
in gold.
A set such as this rarely survived the
consequences of the Dutch system
of inheritance, in which possessions
are shared among all the offspring.
These vases have remained together
only because of their early acquisition
in 1814. Fortunately, they also
escaped recurring trends to ‘cleanup’
the museum collection by deaccessioning
objects.
Ref.: Geneva 2010, cat. 40
108
100 - Vase
China, 1700–20
H. 41 cm, D. mouthrim 3.8 cm, D. footring 12.5 cm
Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden, inv. no. NO 04651
On loan from the Ottema-Kingma Foundation.
Large vase on a footring, with a bulbous
body, a sloping shoulder and a long
cylindrical neck. Decorated in underglaze
powder blue with four reserved
cartouches painted in enamels with,
alternately, a flower basket or a vase
on a stand surrounded by some of the
‘hundred antiquities’. On the shoulder a
border of flower sprays in faded gold.
The decoration of this vase is rather
stiff and formal and as such is a good
example of the style at the end of
Kangxi’s reign.

Verte on Biscuit
Famille verte decorations were usually painted on the glaze.
However, there is a special category in which the enamels were
painted on the surface of an object that had been high-fired
without a glaze, or had a very thin glaze-wash. This group is
named ‘enamels on biscuit’, in Chinese susancai (‘plain three
colours’). The colour of the body of these pieces varies from
a greyish-white to a light buff and the effect of the enamelled
decoration is very different from that of the verte painting on
a piece with a shiny white glaze. Since plain areas on biscuit
create less contrast, the decoration tends to cover the entire
surface, with outlines in black and grounds of yellow, green or
aubergine. The technique was particularly well suited to figures
of humans and Immortals, since the sharp modelling of faces,
hands and other features, left intentionally plain, were not
blurred by a glaze. Figures of animals are another characteristic
feature. Apart from a great variety of Fo dogs (‘Buddhist Lions’)
there are dogs, parrots, mice, monkeys, frogs and other animals.
Strangely, mythical animals seem to be largely absent. 1
Enamels on biscuit are based on Ming traditions of lead
glazing on stoneware and the technique was revived along
with the development of famille verte. Objects such as bowls,
censers, lanterns, small vases or teapots show similar patterns
and grounds as famille verte objects, featuring flowers and
flowering plants, birds, butterflies and other animals. Figural
scenes are uncommon because of the absence of a contrasting
white glaze. European shapes are extremely rare.
It is not clear for which customers biscuit wares were
marketed. Interesting is the cargo of the Ca Mau, a Chinese
119
junk that wrecked in c. 1725 while it was transporting porcelain
with various final destinations to Batavia from where it would
be distributed further. 2 The small biscuit Fo dogs, some shaped
as water droppers, figures on horseback and brush rests, all
with a verte-type glaze, may have been ordered for an expatriate
Chinese community, but a Western destination is also possible.
They are of a lesser quality, compared to the earlier Kangxi
pieces. No verte biscuit figures were found in 18th-century
wrecks of European Company ships, 3 but a good variety of small
stoneware animals and figures, coarsely moulded, some with
verte glazes, was salvaged from the Diana, an English countrytrade
vessel that sank in 1817. 4 Low-quality export production
may therefore have continued for south-east Asia, until the
renewed interest of European and American collectors in the
second half of the 19th century resulted in a revival, especially
for large, well-made and exuberant pieces.
1 A good survey of enamelled biscuit figures and objects is provided by Ayers
2004, chapter VII, pp. 91–111.
2 Made in Imperial China. 76,000 Pieces of Chinese Export Porcelain from
the Ca Mau Shipwreck, circa 1725, auction Sotheby’s Amsterdam, 29–31
January 2007, lots 37–54, 435–51, 552–65, 1103–25.
3 For example, the Gøteborg (Swedish, 1745), see Wästfelt 1990; the
Geldermalsen (Dutch, 1752), see Jörg 1986; the Griffin (English, 1761), see
Goddio 1990.
4 The Diana Cargo, auction Christie’s Amsterdam 6–7 March 1995, lots 882–
1013.

107 - Lantern
China, first quarter of the 18th century
H. 16.8 cm, D. lantern 16 cm, D. base 16.9 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-RBK 15867
Formerly in the collection of R. May. Acquired by the State in 1944, transferred to the
Rijksmuseum in 1946
Hexagonal lantern or nightlight, the underside open, on a
separate flat base with a moulded plinth. The sides and flat
top pierced with vertical cartouches containing a roundel and
a swastika motif. Decorated in famille verte enamels on the
biscuit with flowers and dragons on a speckled ground, on top six
butterflies and flowers on a similar ground.
This lantern held a candle or oil lamp, the light of which shone
through the openings. Liang Yu describes a comparable lantern
as a ‘flower perfumer’, probably because scented oil was used.
According to Eberhard (refs.), the swastika is a very old form of
the character fang, meaning ‘the four regions of the world’. It has
become an emblem of immortality and infinity and is often used
as a decorative motif. The museum has a comparable, square
lantern (inv. no. RBK 15868). A closely related lantern is in the
Palace Museum, Beijing (ref. Li Zhiyan).
Publ.: Lunsingh Scheurleer 1972, pl. 129; Lunsingh Scheurleer
1985, no. 83; Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 212
Refs.: Honey 1927, pl. 57a; Hobson 1925/1928, vol. 5,
pl. XXVII-E139; Eberhard 1986, pp. 280–81; Beijing 1989,
p. 117, no. 100; Li Zhiyan 2010, p. 484
120
108 - Guanyin
China, early 18th century
H. 28.3 cm, base 20.5 x 9.2 cm
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, inv. no. AK-NM 12467
Acquired from Gorer, art dealers, London, 1919, with the aid of the Rembrandt Society
Figure of Guanyin on a tall, moulded plinth, the front with
a pierced motif. The goddess, set against a semicircular
background of tall pierced rocks, is seated on a lotus flower
rising from the water, as indicated by curling waves. The head
and tail of a carp emerges from the water, a vase on a rock in
the middle. Acolytes on either side of Guanyin, one standing on
a lotus leaf, the other on a flower growing from the same plant.
Guanyin has a mandorla around her head, with bamboo growing
above it. Covered with aubergine, green and yellow enamels on
the biscuit. The museum has a similar, slightly smaller example
(inv. no. MAK 573).
This figure may have been made for a house altar, but it is also
possible that it was produced as part of the assortment of exotic
figures and groups for export to the West. The iconography of
Guanyin seated on a lotus is related to the representations of
the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara as Padmapani, ‘Lotus Hand’,
where he is shown with a lotus (padma) in one hand. Figures
of Guanyin in a cave often show her with two acolytes, namely
Shancai (‘Excelling in Riches’), a boy with folded hands; and
Longnu (‘Dragon Daughter’), a girl with a jewel or a peach on
a cushion (ref. Stein). The three-dimensional composition and
the finely moulded details make this an exceptional piece within
its category.
Publ.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cat. 204
Refs.: Lim 1978, no. 52; Stein 1986, p. 18

120 - Tea or water pot
China, early 18th century
H. with cover 17 cm, D. rim 8.7 cm, D. footring 9.8 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1899-42
Bequest Mello Backer, 1899.
Large globular teapot or water pot on a footring, with a curved
spout and a thick loop handle, the domed cover with knob.
Decorated in famille verte enamels. Around the foot a green
band with spirals, on the shoulder a green band with a meander
motif. The body is divided into two wide panels on a ground of
scattered flowers and butterflies. One is filled with flowering
plants and butterflies, the other with two small cockerels near a
rock, several large, flowering plants and butterflies. The cover is
similarly decorated. Marked on the base with the Latin capital
‘G’ in underglaze blue.
This pot is unusually large for the period, when tea was drunk
from small cups and each guest or client had his or her own
teapot with their preferred choice of tea. Perhaps this pot held
the hot water used to refill the smaller teapots, or was used for
wine or punch. The ‘G’ mark is still not explained, but could
indicate that a Chinese retailer or Western merchant ordered this
object. It is usually seen on bulbous bottles (ref.). The museum
has two similar large pots in underglaze blue (without the mark,
inv. 1899-255A,B). A related teapot, also with the initial ‘G’, is
in the Carmona e Costa Foundation, Lisbon (ref. Pinto de Matos)
132
Publ.: Visser 1930, fig. 15
Ref.: Jörg & Van Campen 1997, cats. 298, 299; Pinto de Matos
& Salgado 2002, cat. 21

121 - Teapot
China, early 18th century
H. with cover 11 cm, D. rim 6 cm, D. footring 6.3 cm
Groninger Museum, Groningen, inv. no. 1899-44
Bequest Mello Backer, 1899.
Globular teapot on a footring, with a loop handle and a curved
spout, a knot-shaped finial on the domed cover. Decorated in
famille verte enamels. On the body six large and twelve small
medallions in low relief. The large medallions with a border of
pointed petals and filled with flower sprigs; the smaller ones
filled with a flower spray, insects between. The handle and spout
in green with a black flower spray, the knob yellow.
The decoration in relief and the knot-shaped finial make this an
unusual, rather exclusive teapot.
133