153.
A ‘FAMILLE VERTE’ JAR AND COVER
Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, early 18th century
31 cm high
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 3753.
The cover originally belonged to another piece, and has another inventory number (4237). An inscription inside the cover reading “3 Jan Lot E.P.t” could probably be related to an auction.
The decoration of this vase, consisting in a scene with lotus flowers and ducks in a pond, is freely arranged on the whole external surface with an overall pictorial effect.
The iconography of the lotus flower (hehua or lianhua) is rather cross in Chinese art. If on the one hand, its representation immediately refers to Buddhism, as a symbol of purity and rebirth, as a consequence of the fact that it blossoms among the muddy waters, on the other hand the lotus also appears in Daoist context, for example as an attribute of He Xianghu, one of the Eight Immortals (baxia).
The combination of lotus flowers and ducks is connected with the wish for harmony and union in marriage. The characters that compose the two names which identify the lotus flower are in fact homophones of the characters that mean “to link” and “peace”. A pair of ducks (yuanyang) also represents a married couple, because of the ancient belief they mate for the whole life.
