China, Qing dynasty (1644-1912) or slightly later. Each delicately potted, of ogee form, the rounded sides supported on a short foot and rising to a scalloped gilt rim. Finely enameled with a temple complex nestled within a mountainous landscape with misty clouds rising high above the mountains, with monks engaged in various pursuits as well as a boat floating in the distance, all in a verdant landscape with lush pine trees. The recessed bases each with an apocryphal iron-red six-character seal mark da Qing Daoguang nianzhi. (2)

Inscriptions:

The first dish with the poem ‘Gazing at a Waterfall on Mount Lu’ by Li Bai: ‘Sunlight illuminates Incense Burner Peak / kindling violet smoke; from afar, a waterfall hangs before the river / Water flies straight down three thousand feet / Has the silver stream of our galaxy plunged from highest heaven?’, two seals; the Five Old Man Peaks with an identifying inscription, ‘Wulaofeng’.

The second dish with a poem by Bai Juyi: ‘In the early morning one sings the poem about the divine world / In the late afternoon one reads the poem “Homecoming after the War” from the “Book of Songs” / The clouds surround rocks, there are fifteen peaks there / One runs along the river from the cave, on the way back along the bamboo path / I return here frequently in the hopes that the divine grasses turn green’; two seals; and inscribed ‘Pavilion of the View of the Tang River’.

Provenance: From a private collection in London, United Kingdom.
Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities.

Weight: 91.8 g and 94.2 g
Dimensions: 13.1 cm (each)

Lushan (Mount Lu) is a mountain in Jiujiang, China, also known as Kuanglu in ancient times. The mountain and its immediate area are officially designated as the Lushan National Park, and it is one of the most renowned mountains in China, known for its grandeur, steepness, and beauty. The mountain and the surrounding region are also an important spiritual center, containing important sites and temples for Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and even Christianity. Between 386 and 402 during the Jin dynasty, Huiyuan founded Pure Land Buddhism and Donglin Temple on the slopes of Mount Lu. During the Tang dynasty, Daoist temples were constructed nearby to house sacred scriptures. Due to its striking beauty and sacred importance, Lushan National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Popular attractions on Mount Lu include the Five Old Man Peaks (Wulaofeng).

Li Bai (701-762) was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as one of the greatest and most important poets of the Tang dynasty and in Chinese history as a whole. His poems have been collected into the most important Tang dynasty collection, Heyaue yingling ji, compiled in 753 by Yin Fan. Thirty-four of Li Bai’s poems are included in the anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems, which was first published in the 18^th century. Around the same time, translations of his poems began to appear in Europe. The poems became models for celebrating the pleasures of friendship, the depth of nature, solitude, and the joys of drinking. Among the most famous are Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day, The Hard Road to Shu, and Quiet Night Thought, which are still taught in schools in China. In the West, multilingual translations of Li's poems continue to be made. His life has even taken on a legendary aspect, including tales of drunkenness and chivalry, and the well-known tale that Li drowned when he reached from his boat to grasp the moon's reflection in the river while he was drunk.

Bai Juyi (772-846) was a Chinese musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as governor of three different provinces. He achieved fame as a writer of verse in a low-key, near vernacular style that was popular throughout medieval East Asia.