A pair of Chinese famille verte lotus-moulded 'Mu Guiying' plates, Kangxi

224
This lot was sold on 2020-02-15 and is no longer available

Dia.: 22 cm

Condition: (UV-checked)
- One in good condition, with some touch-ups to fritting along the rim. Minor superficial crazing visible.
- The second with a ca. 3 cm hairline showing up under UV-light, not visible to the naked eye, at ca. 5.30 o'clock. The rim with a number of small touch-ups to fritting.

Ref.:
- Groninger Museum, The Netherlands, inv. no. 1945.0159, for a set of six. Published: C.J.A. Jörg: 'Famille verte enamels', Groningen, 2011. (link) The catalogue entry states that '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 Yang-jia-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.