167.
A ‘FAMILLE VERTE’ DISH
Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, early 18th century
41,5 cm diam
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection, acquired before 1869.
inv. n. 3960.
This dish was exhibited at the Union Central des Beaux-Art of Paris in 1869, and reviewed by Jacquemart in that same year as ”le beau plat appurtenant à M. le duc de Martina, qui montre un empereur assis, faisant extraire de sa bibliothéque des livres anciens qu’expliquent et commentent une foule de savants réunis autour du trône” (A. Jacquemart, Exposition de l’Union Centrale des Beaux-Arts appliqués a l’industrie. Musée oriental. I. Inde, in “Gazette des Beaux-arts”, 1869, 2, pp. 332-351, p. 486).
After the burnt of the books ordered in 213 B.C. by Qin Shi Huangdi, the following sovereigns tried to restore the past knowledge promoting the rewriting of classical texts and the collecting of books. The first imperial centralized library was established in the first century BC. The books were at the disposal of scholars and the first custodian was Xiang Liu (80-8 BC), who compiled the first known Chinese bibliography, entitled “Separated Records” (Bielu). His son, Xin Liu, produced the first catalogue, the “Seven Epitomes” (Qilue).
In the following centuries, the destiny of the imperial library went side by side with the historical events. Emperor Taizong (reign 976-997) greatly expanded the collection, then housed in three buildings collectively known as Chongwenyuan, “Hall for Promotion of Letters”. From that time onward, the books were used by the imperial family, high officials and renowned scholars. Libraries opened to a wider public were created only in the eighteenth century, thanks to the foresight of the emperor Qianlong which promoted the compilation of the Siku Quanshu (“Complete Library in Four Sections”), the biggest catalogue of books ever created in China.
The rim is painted with a geometric motif of stylized flowers that form a carpet of circular coins, against which lobed reserves with some of the ‘Hundred Antiquities’ (bogu), including books, vases of different shapes and sizes, scrolls of writing and calligraphy, a weiqi board, a ruyi scepter, brushes, a sword and quiver, censers and a sculpture of a rabbit.
