51.
A WUCAI ENAMELLED EWER WITH IVORY HANDLE AND SILVER MOUNT
the ewer Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, circa 1670; the mount European, late 17th century
34 cm high
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
Inv. n. 3872.
The ewer is decorated in the wucai palette, although the neck and foot are closer in decoration to the famille verte, typical to the Kangxi period. The body is decorated on one side with Pantha the younger holding his staff, who is one of the Eighteen Buddhist Luohans, and on the other side with Lu Dongbin carrying a sword, who is one of the Eight Daoist Immortals. The neck is decorated with palmette motifs below a lotus scroll and a zigzag band, below the replacement metal cover. The spout is issuing from moulded dragon-head and the handle is a replacement made of ivory.
Combined representation of Buddhist and Daoist symbolism as seen on this ewer is not unusual in Chinese art. The emperors often practiced both as well as Confucianism. The choice of representing Pantha the younger and Lu Dongbin on the same vessel alludes to their shared characteristic of dispelling evil.
