Wei Yongsheng's Painted Porcelain Plaques of Famous Recluses

A set of four painted rectangular porcelain plaques, Wei…
click the photo to enlarge
A set of four painted rectangular porcelain plaques, Wei Yongsheng (1910-1975), Republic period 80 x 20 approx. each (4). Provenance: Private collection, Canberra, acquired in Shanghai prior to 1949 and thence by descent The group depicts four famous recluses in the Chinese history, paired with objects with which they are famously associated. They are: Tao Yuanming, holding a basket of chrysanthemum, Yan Guang, carrying a fishing rod, Li Bai, with an emptied wine jar by his feet, and Wang Xizhi, observing a goose. The inscribed poems on each plaque also allude to stories about them. Wei Yongsheng was working for the Jingdezhen Ceramic Studio during the mid 20th century, and teaching in the Jingdezhen Ceramic Academy by 1956. Wei's painting style was greatly influenced by Wang Qi (1884-1937), one of the eight masters of painted ceramics in Jingdezhen during the Republic of China. The shading of the figures' faces in a very realistic manner in this group was Wang's signature technique, which was in turn influenced by European oil paintings. Compare another painted plaque by Wei dated 1945, see Innovations and Creations: A Retrospect of 20th Century Porcelain from Jingdezhen, pl. 78, in which the manner of outlining the folds of gowns, known as head of nail and tail of mouse' dingtou shuwei can also be seen employed in this group too.

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  • Manner of .... / Style of ..... - A cataloguing term where the item, in the opinion of the cataloguer is a work in the style of the artist, craftsman or designer, possibly of a later period.
  • Republic Period - The Chinese Republic period, also known as the Republic of China period, lasted from 1912 to 1949. It began with the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and the establishment of the Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen. During this period, the country underwent significant political, social, and economic changes, including the adoption of a new constitution, the expansion of civil liberties, and the modernization of the economy. However, the Republic of China period was also marked by political instability, with numerous warlords and factions vying for power and influence, and the country was eventually engulfed in a civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists. The Republic of China period came to an end in 1949, when the Communists emerged victorious and established the People's Republic of China, while the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan where they established a separate government.

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