Bowl with “Auspicious Fungus and Orchid Celebrating Birthday” motif on a yellow ground in falangcai painted enamels, Yongzheng reign (1723-1735), Qing dynasty

Bowl with “Auspicious Fungus and Orchid Celebrating Birthday” motif on a yellow ground in falangcai painted enamels, Yongzheng reign (1723-1735), Qing dynasty

• Image Number: K1B017697N000000000PAB
• Dynasty: Qing dynasty
• Category: Ceramics
• Function: Container
• Material: Minerals/Ceramics/
• Description:
  The lip is wide, curved and deep, with a short circle of feet. The carcass is thick, and yellow enamel is applied to the outside of the utensil. On one side, ganoderma lucidum, orchid and lake stone are painted. On the other side, the ink inscription reads: “In Yunshen Yao Island, there is a fairy path, and the spring is warm and the orchids are fragrant.”. At the beginning of the poem, “Jiali” is painted in red, and at the end of the poem, “Shougu” and “Xiangqing” are printed. The bowl is white glazed without lines. At the bottom, there are blue materials made in Yongzheng’s year. Orchid, together with plum, bamboo and chrysanthemum, is called the Four Gentlemen, symbolizing the four seasons. It has been a popular decorative theme since the Song Dynasty. The title sentence is excerpted from Ye Ziqi’s poem “Smell the orchid fragrance on the pond” of the Ming Dynasty, which has the function of echoing the painting title and pointing out the painting meaning. One piece was handed down from generation to generation. In the 15th year of Daoguang’s reign (1835), the Archive of Enamel Glass Yixing Magnetic Embroidery was recorded as “a piece of enamel yellow ganoderma celestial birthday tea bell”.