Figural Porcelain and the Visual World of Qing Vernacular Life
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The 19th century in China, particularly from the Jiaqing to Guangxu periods, saw the rise of a dynamic vernacular culture shaped by expanding domestic markets and a diversified non-elite audience. As imperial patronage declined, artistic production increasingly responded to popular taste, resulting in a vibrant material culture rooted in everyday life. Performing arts and woodblock-printed literature played a central role in this environment, circulating widely and creating a shared visual language of stories and characters accessible across different levels of literacy (Harrison-Hall and Lovell, 2023; Hegal, 1985).
Lot 68 - A Chinese famille rose ‘Seven Captures of Meng Huo’ tureen and cover, Qing Dynasty, Daoguang Period (1821-1850)
It was within this context that figural decoration on porcelain emerged as a significant and increasingly popular form of expression. From the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods onward, Jingdezhen kilns adapted to shifting economic conditions—including the decline of imperial commissions and export markets—by turning towards domestic consumers (Nadler, 2001; Harrison-Hall and Lovell, 2023). Artisans drew on familiar narratives from literature and theatre, producing wares—often in the vibrant famille rose palette—that appealed through lively imagery and auspicious symbolism. Unlike the restrained aesthetics favoured by the literati, these porcelains reflected a more immediate and accessible visual language (Wu et al., 2021).
Lot 69 - A pair of Chinese famille rose ‘boys’ boxes and covers, Tongzhi period
The figural imagery itself reveals a close relationship with performing arts. Many figures adopt stylised poses and gestures derived from theatre, while costumes and compositions echo operatic conventions (Siu and Lovrick, 1997; Liu, 2002). The simplified forms, bold colours, and expressive outlines also align with popular visual media such as New Year prints and shadow puppetry, which played a central role in disseminating theatrical imagery (Zeitlin and Li, 2014; Sun, 2003). In this sense, figural porcelains can be understood as “performing images”, translating the dynamism of the stage into a static but vivid visual form.
Lot 75 - A rare Chinese famille rose ‘Six Arts of the Gentleman’ drum-shaped wine ewer and fitted warmer set, late 19th century
The group of famille rose porcelains offered in the present sale (Lots 68–81) exemplifies this phenomenon. Lot 68 – a Daoguang period famille rose tureen and cover depicting scenes of “Zhuge Liang’s Seven Captures of Meng Huo” (諸葛亮七擒孟獲) from Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义) – conveys ideals of wisdom prevailing over military force, while subjects such as Niulang and Zhinü (牛郎织女, Lot 78), qilin delivering a child (麒麟送子, Lot 72), and the Three Star Gods (三星报喜, Lot 70) reflect aspirations for love, fertility, and prosperity. Representations of the “Six Arts of the Gentleman” (君子六艺, Lot 75) further translate Confucian ideals into accessible imagery.
Lot 76 - A Chinese famille rose ‘birthday greeting’ stationery box and cover, Tongzhi period (1862 - 1874)
Recent scholarship has increasingly highlighted the importance of such objects within the broader history of Chinese art. The British Museum’s China’s Hidden Century, 1796–1912 (2023) has drawn attention to the richness of vernacular material culture, challenging earlier narratives of decline (Harrison-Hall and Lovell, 2023). Within this framework, these porcelains offer a vivid window into the values, beliefs, and storytelling traditions that shaped everyday life in 19th-century China, where such narratives were instantly recognisable across different levels of society. For the modern collector, they also present an engaging intellectual pursuit: each scene invites identification, interpretation, and comparison with literary and theatrical sources, transforming the act of collecting into one of cultural discovery as much as aesthetic appreciation.
Lot 73 - Three Chinese famille rose figural teapots and covers, circa 1900
References
Harrison-Hall, Jessica, and Julia Lovell. China’s Hidden Century, 1796–1912. London: British Museum Press, 2023.
Hegal, Robert E. “Distinguishing Levels of Audiences for Ming–Qing Vernacular Literature.” In Popular Culture in Late Imperial China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
Johnson, David. “Actions Speak Louder than Words: The Cultural Significance of Chinese Ritual Opera.” In Ritual Opera, Operatic Ritual. Berkeley: University of California, 1989.
Liu, Meiyue. Zhongguo Jingju Yixiang 中国京剧衣箱. Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe, 2002.
Nadler, Daniel. China to Order: Focusing on the XIXth Century. Paris: Vilo International, 2001.
Siu, Wang-Ngai, and Peter Lovrick. Chinese Opera: Images and Stories. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997.
Sun, Jianjun. Chinese Shadow Play 中国民间皮影. Changsha: Hunan Meishu Chubanshe, 2003.
Wang, Bomin. Zhongguo Ban Hua Shi 中国版画史. Shanghai: Shanghai Renmin Meishu Chubanshe, 1961.
Wu, Shuman, Xiaohua Huang, and Yueyun Shao. “On the Aesthetic Influence of Literati Painting on Porcelain.” International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology 3, no. 9 (2021).
Zeitlin, Judith T., and Yuhang Li. Performing Images: Opera in Chinese Visual Culture. Chicago: Smart Museum of Art, 2014.
Zhou, Xinhui. Xin Bian Zhongguo Ban Hua Shi Tu Lu 新编中国版画史图录. Beijing: Xueyuan Chubanshe, 2000.
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