A pair of Chinese blue and white square 'narrative subject' vases and covers, Kangxi

H.: 31 cm

Ref.:
- Christie's, London, May 17, 2013, lot 1359, for a single example. (sold GBP 17.500) (link)
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong, has one example, depicting scenes from a popular drama: Autumn in the Han Palace, which is a fictional rendition of the historical story of Wang Zhaojun, a concubine of the Han Emperor Yuan. Written by Ma Zhiyuan, a celebrated playwright during the Yuan dynasty, the drama enjoyed high popularity in the late Ming to early Qing periods. A wide selection of its scripts with illustrations were published. (link)
- The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, accession number C.814&A-1910A. (link)
- The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, object number AK-NM-6698-A. (link)

Condition: (UV-checked)
The first vase and cover
- The cover in quasi excellent condition, with two small chips to the finial and one small chip to the corner.
- The vase in quasi excellent condition, with a few small superficial chips and typical glaze loss to the rim.

The second vase and cover
- The cover in excellent condition with a few baking flaws.
- The vase with a small superficial chip and a section of ca. 4 x 2 cm oversprayed and overpainted to the rim, probably to recover a hairline.
- A few small chips to the side edges and a chip of ca. 10 mm to the corner of the base rim.

品相：（已用紫外线光检查）
第一个盖瓶
- 盖子近乎全品，盖钮两个小飞皮，边角一个小飞皮。
- 瓶子近乎全品，口沿几处小飞皮和剥釉。

第二个盖瓶
- 盖子全品，几处窑伤。
- 瓶子口沿一个小飞皮和一处约 4 x 2 厘米的喷漆和复绘痕迹，可能是为了覆盖一条冲线。
- 瓶身侧变几处飞皮，底边角上一个磕崩约 10 毫米。