Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities

On view

Orientation Gallery
Susan & John Diekman Gallery

Dish with scenes of leisurely activities

Chinese
Qing dynasty, Kangxi reign period, 1662–1722
2006-505

As an immigrant artist, I have learned a lot from my life experiences in both China and the States, the most important one is: There has been neither “pure Eastern art” nor “pure Western art” in today’s world. But there is no need to regret this because it is precisely this vague middle ground that creates more creative freedom for artists. The two works of mine—Mai Dang Lao and Kekou-Kele—were produced under such cognition and background. My works may make people think about some serious issues of the moment, such as “modern consumerism,” “globalization,” etc., but in fact, if it only just gives you a small grin, I would also be very happy.

Now, please turn your eyes from this label to the whole installation and examine the objects, which range from Western Zhou dynasty bronze to Ming dynasty-style blue-and-white floral porcelain to modern art by American pop art masters. I believe that after the survey, you will have your own understanding of my two works.

Zhang Hongtu, Artist

Information

Title
Dish with scenes of leisurely activities
Medium
Porcelain with underglaze-blue designs
Dimensions
h. 3.2, diam. 26.6 cm (1 1/4 × 10 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Stanley Yeager
Object Number
2006-505
Place Made

Asia, China

Marks/Labels/Seals
on bottom: Reign mark "Da Qing Kangxi nian zhi" 大清康熙年製
Description
Wheel-turned, round dish on a footring with a flat center rising to a flat angled rim. Upper side is decorated with figural scenes in the center round panel and in four oblong panels around the rim. The center panel shows a scene from Wang Shifu's 王實甫 (ca 1260–1336) the Romance of the West Chamber (Xixiangji 西廂記): a man holds a folding fan seated at a table with an attendant holding a broom/mop. This scene is set in a open room with roof eaves seen above and garden rocks in front. On the rim in the upper right is a panel showing a seated Tao Yuanming with an attendant watering potted chrysanthemum. In the upper left is a seated Wang Xizhi 王羲之 (303–361) with an approaching attendant holding a goose. Lower left is Zhou Dunyi 周敦頤 (1017–1073) seated beside potted lotus flowers. Zhou Dunyi is also known to have said that the best quality of life is that of a pure Lotus growing out of dirty waters, where the Lotus is the natural equivalent of the noble person (junzi). And in the lower left is a man (possibly Bai Juyi 白居易 [772–846]) sleeping under a tree with an attendant holding a qin instrument. The underside is decorated with four emblems around the rim; and a double band around the top of the footring. The interior wall of the footring is vertical, and the exterior side flat but angle down toward the center. Inside the footring, the flat bottom is the reign mark inscribed inside a double-line circle.
Culture
Chinese
Period
Kangxi
Type
blue-and-white, ceramics, chinese ceramics styles, dishes
Materials
underglazing, porcelain
Subject
figures (representations), leisure

– Wiesbrod and DY, Ltd. (New York, NY), sold to Stanley Yeager (Montville, NJ), 1982.

–2006 Stanley Yeager (Montville, NJ), by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2006.

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