A RARE CHINESE BLUE AND WHITE 'ROMANCE OF THE WESTERN CHAMBER' BEAKER VASE

TRANSITIONAL C.1640

The flared neck painted with figures illustrating a scene from Xi Xiang Ji, depicting Zhang Sheng and Fa Pen in a fenced garden, the waisted middle section depicting a dignitary and a young male attendant, all above a band of pendant leaves, the base inscribed with a cursive ST 1658, 46.4cm.

Provenance: from the collection of Nicolas de la Mare Thompson (1928-2010).

Exhibited: The World in Blue and White, an exhibition of blue and white ceramics, dating between 1320 and 1820, from members of the Oriental Ceramic Society, 2003, and illustrated in the catalogue p.6, no.1. The exhibition toured in London, Bath and Glasgow in 2003.

The Romance of the Western Chamber is one of the most famous Chinese dramatic works. It was written by the Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu and is set during the Tang dynasty. It tells the story of a young couple consummating their love without parental approval.