A Chinese famille rose painting of ladies and kids playing

Yongzheng period

H: 17 7/8, Dia: 7 1/2 in. (H: 45.4, Dia: 19.05 cm.)

Provenance: Mrs. Rittenberg, Colorado. Inherited from her great grandparents and grandparents.

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During Yongzheng Emperor's reign of thirteen years, the production of porcelain wares had reached a great height. Amongst the numerous styles of glazed wares produced during the period, famille rose was considered one of the finest. Famille rose porcelains originated in the Kangxi period, known for their delicate colors - a deviation from the strong, vibrant color that defined wucai porcelains. The production of famille rose wares matured by the time of Yongzheng, with various shapes and forms complimenting exceptional decorative paintings. Common subject matter for the paintings include landscapes, caricatures, flora, butterflies, etc. This famille rose vase is decorated with illustrations of four ladies and sixteen children. The ladies are elegant and graceful. The children, lively and distinguishable from one another, are scattered throughout and playing. 'Ladies and Children' was a common subject matter during the peaceful time of Kangxi and Yongzheng, when auspicious themes were popular.

Sotheby's, Hong Kong, April 2011, Lot 3070.

雍正一朝雖僅十三年，但其瓷器質量高超，彩釉品種空前豐富，尤以粉彩、琺琅彩、色釉及仿古瓷的藝術成就最高。粉彩始創於康熙年間，它以柔和細膩見長，有別於五彩的強烈色彩，又稱爲“軟彩”。粉彩器在雍正時期已成爲彩瓷的主流產品，其造型多樣，裝飾紋樣豐富，繪製精湛。裝飾圖案常見山水、人物、花草、蟲蝶紋等。本件作品通體以粉彩描繪四妃十六子紋飾。仕女髮鬢高盤，芳容微笑，神態恬靜自得，着裝雍容華貴，童子三五成羣，分佈四周，嬉戲玩耍，手執各式器物，生動活潑，形態各異，畫面佈局錯落有致。四妃十六子圖，又名庭院嬰戲圖。康熙雍正時期，戰亂趨於平穩，象徵着喜慶吉祥的寓意紋飾屢見不鮮，諸如仕女嬰戲方面的題材也就成爲當時所崇尚的風格，表達了一種國運昌盛、家庭幸福、多子多孫的吉祥寓意。

參閱蘇富比拍賣2011年04月香港拍賣-編號-3070

Glaze wear commensurate with age and use.