8.
A ‘BLUE AND WHITE’ BOWL
Ming dynasty, Wanli period
19,6 cm diam.
Fu gui jia qi four-character mark.
Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, collezione Museo Filangieri.
The bowl is painted in the well with a medallion enclosing chrysanthemums and peonies flanking a rockwork, encircled by lappets and a border of ruyi-heads.
Chrysanthemum represents autumn and symbolises longevity and wealth, as its name sounds similar to jiu, meaning “long enduring”.
The peony (fuguihua) is known as the ‘king of flowers’, combined with rockwork it alludes to a pun expressing the wish “May you live long and achieve wealth and honour”.
The ruyi border represents both the wish for long life as well as underscoring the other auspicious wishes.
The exterior is decorated with peony, pomegranate and other flowers.
The pomegranate (shiliu), due to its many seeds, is symbolic of fertility and the wish for many offspring and continuity.
The mark Fu gui jia qi can be translated as “fine vessel for the rich and honourable”: it is prevalent on mid to late sixteenth century wares.
