A CHINESE BLUE-GROUND FAMILLE ROSE MEDALLION 'LOVERS' BOWL

LATE QING DYNASTY/REPUBLIC PERIOD

The interior painted with a scene depicting Niulang and Zhinu, united on a bridge of magpies amidst swirling clouds, the exterior decorated with four panels illustrating further the scenes from the folktale, all reserved on a sgraffito blue ground and divided by colourful clouds, the base with a six character Daoguang mark, 14.8cm.

Provenance: from an English private collection, purchased in Hong Kong in the 1990s.

The romantic legend of the two lovers Niulang and Zhinu is an ancient Chinese love story that has been told since the Han Dynasty. Zhinu was a weaver girl and Niulang a cowherd, and their love was forbidden, so they were banished to opposite sides of the Heavenly River (symbolising the milky way). Once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers.