Rare Ming 16th Century Warming Bowl, Painted in a Good Underglaze Cobalt-Blue with Scholars Playing Go

Ref: AA27

Rare Ming 16th century warming bowl, painted in a good underglaze cobalt-blue with scholars playing Go in the forest seated under a pine tree with rockwork in the foreground, the exterior with a scrolling vine with animals, the base with an original hole encircled with four Chinese characters.

Dimensions:

Diameter 14 cm. (5.1/2 in.); Height 7.5cm. (3 in.)

Condition:

see images

Notes:

Chinese characters on the bottom of the bowl read 春長貴 (chūn cháng guì). This inscription is a mark of good wishes and can be translated to: • 春 (chūn): Spring • 長 (cháng): Long, long-lasting • 貴 (guì): Noble, precious, or wealthy When combined, the characters express a wish for "Long life and wealth in spring" or "May spring be long-lasting and precious". .

The scene represents scholars playing weiqi (go) in the forest Go was one of the "Four Arts" of the Chinese scholar-gentleman, alongside calligraphy, painting, and playing the guqin musical instrument. While there isn't a specific mythology about scholars playing weiqi the theme of immortals or scholars playing weiqi in a timeless setting is common, sometimes resulting in mortals who witness the game returning to find many years have passed. It also refers to a time when the political situation was turbulent and scholars were happy to escape from every day life.

貴(guì): honor, prosperity 長(cháng): long, enduring 春(chūn): spring, life

Provenance:

Henry Potter Stevens Collection, no.94 Sotheby's part lot 75 on 29th January 1948