China. The plaque of rectangular form, painted in polychrome enamels and iron-red to depict the poet Tao Yuanming kneeling, one hand resting on his knee, his head raised toward the left, a bamboo cane and double gourd laying in front of him, and a basket with flowers to his right. A poem related to the scene, the artist’s signature, and two seal marks at the upper left corner.

Inscriptions: Upper left, signed ‘Xichang Wang Qi’. Two seals, ‘Xichang Wang Qi’ and ‘Taomi’.

Provenance: From the property of a Gentleman in London, United Kingdom.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and manufacturing flaws, the top right corner with a small chip to the reverse.

Weight: 1,918 g
Dimensions: Size 36.7 x 24.6 cm

Tao Yuanming (365-427) was a Chinese literati and politician who was one of the best-known poets during the Six Dynasties period. He spent much of his life in reclusion in the countryside writing poems in which he often reflected on the pleasures and difficulties of life, as well as his decision to withdraw from civil service.

Wang Qi (1884-1937) was the most outstanding porcelain painter of his day. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, imperial orders for porcelain dwindled at Jingdezhen, the main porcelain production center in China. Porcelain artists, released from imperial restraints, developed their own styles based upon famous scroll painters of earlier periods. Eight of the leading artists formed a group, which despite calling themselves ‘The Full Moon Society’ came to be known as the ‘Eight Friends of Zushan’. The development of Wang Qi’s mature style can be traced to a trip he made to Shanghai in 1916 to see an exhibition of works by a group of painters called Yangzhou Baguai (the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou). Wang was so impressed by the paintings of Huang Shen, one of the Eight Eccentrics, that he started to emulate Huang’s style. But not satisfied with just emulating, over the years Wang more and more developed his own distinct style by incrementally incorporating Western painting and enameling techniques in his work.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Bonhams Los Angeles, 14 April 2022, lot 34
Price: USD 16,562 or approx. EUR 15,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Pair of Figural Porcelain Plaques Depicting Tao Yuanming and Li Bai
Expert remark: Compare with this porcelain plaque, also depicting Tao Yuanming, but by He Xuren. Note that He Xuren was also a member of the Eight Friends of Zhushan, the school of porcelain painters of Wang Qi. Also note that the sale result is for two plaques.


王琦款粉彩陶淵明采菊瓷板
中國。彩繪鐵紅，繪製詩人陶淵明一手搭膝，頭向左轉，手前擺著一根竹杖和雙葫蘆，在他的右邊有一個裝著菊花的籃子。畫面光影富於變化，有西洋繪畫暈染技法，立體感強。

款識：西昌王琦；鈴印：西昌王琦、陶迷

來源：英國倫敦紳士收藏。
品相：狀況極好，有輕微磨損和製造缺陷，右上角背面有一個開片。

重量：1,918克
尺寸：36.7 x 24.6厘米

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：洛杉磯邦瀚斯，2022年4月14日，lot 34
價格：USD 16,562（相當於今日EUR 15,700）
描述：一對陶淵明和李白人物瓷板
專家評論：比較亦是描繪陶淵明的瓷板，但為何許人所繪。請注意何許人也是珠山八友，與王琦為同一個瓷版畫學派。請注意此件有兩塊瓷板。