Period:Ming dynasty Production date:1600-1644 (circa)
Materials:porcelain, blanc de chine,
Technique:incised, glazed, pierced,
Subjects:calligraphy deity acolyte
Dimensions:Diameter: 10 centimetres Height: 28 centimetres Width: 15 centimetres
Description:
‘Blanc de chine’ figure group of Wen Chang and Kui Xing, covered with a transparent glaze. This figure group shows Wen Chang [Literary Glory], the popular or Daoist God of Literature, seated on a pierced Tai Hu rock accompanied by the demonic-looking figure of Kui Xing, his acolyte. Wen Chang is dressed in the robes of a Ming dynasty civil official secured by two long belts around his belly and chest. The chest belt tucks under the waist belt on either side at the back. His costume has a square incised rank badge attached to the back depicting a pair of birds, one in flight among ‘ruyi’ clouds, and a round badge at the front incised with a stippled ground and with waves and clouds (the animal or bird of this badge is obscured by Wen Chang’s right hand which he raises to write with a brush in the book held by Kui Xing). Wen Chang wears shoes with turned-up toes, revealing stippled soles suggesting cotton stiches. His hat is placed above his ears and has a round crown, raised back with two ribbons which hang over his shoulders. His expression is serene. His chin, the area above his lips and sideburn area are pierced for the addition of real hair beard, moustache and sideburn whiskers. The ears are both pierced to allow for the escape of gasses during firing to prevent cracking in the kiln. Kui Xing is the deity who distributes literary degrees. He is shown standing to Wen Chang’s left and is depicted on a much smaller scale, indicating their relative importance, holding an opened book marked out with vertical columns for calligraphy. Typically he is shown to be wild-looking, with hair in horn-like clumps at the sides of his head. He is barefoot, open-mouthed and has a pockmarked face. Around his shoulders is a long flowing scarf. He wears a short robe tied at the waist with a broad girdle and belt. Inside the sculpture is hollow apart from the head and the sides were scraped before the piece was glazed inside and out with a yellow-tinged glaze. The tips of Wen Chang’s fingers and the edges of Kui Xing’s scarf are damaged.
IMG
![图片[1]-figure; calligraphy BM-1980-0728.54-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Ming dynasty/Calligraphic works/mid_00136600_001.jpg)
![图片[2]-figure; calligraphy BM-1980-0728.54-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Ming dynasty/Calligraphic works/mid_RRC15721.jpg)
Comments:Harrison-Hall 2001:Wen Chang is believed to be the deification of a historical figure: Zhang Yu of the Tang period or Zhang Dazi of the Jin era. Kui Xing, as his name suggests, is believed to reside in the star group Kui, the trapezoidal section of the Great Dipper. Often this constellation is depicted above his head. Wen Chang and Kui Xing are portrayed in an ink on paper hanging scroll of the God of Literature by Ding Yunpeng (active c. 1584-1638), dated 1596, in the British Museum. Kui Xing is shown holding a ‘bi’ [writing brush] and a ‘sheng’ [rice measure] which together make the pun ‘literary success’.
Materials:porcelain, blanc de chine,
Technique:incised, glazed, pierced,
Subjects:calligraphy deity acolyte
Dimensions:Diameter: 10 centimetres Height: 28 centimetres Width: 15 centimetres
Description:
‘Blanc de chine’ figure group of Wen Chang and Kui Xing, covered with a transparent glaze. This figure group shows Wen Chang [Literary Glory], the popular or Daoist God of Literature, seated on a pierced Tai Hu rock accompanied by the demonic-looking figure of Kui Xing, his acolyte. Wen Chang is dressed in the robes of a Ming dynasty civil official secured by two long belts around his belly and chest. The chest belt tucks under the waist belt on either side at the back. His costume has a square incised rank badge attached to the back depicting a pair of birds, one in flight among ‘ruyi’ clouds, and a round badge at the front incised with a stippled ground and with waves and clouds (the animal or bird of this badge is obscured by Wen Chang’s right hand which he raises to write with a brush in the book held by Kui Xing). Wen Chang wears shoes with turned-up toes, revealing stippled soles suggesting cotton stiches. His hat is placed above his ears and has a round crown, raised back with two ribbons which hang over his shoulders. His expression is serene. His chin, the area above his lips and sideburn area are pierced for the addition of real hair beard, moustache and sideburn whiskers. The ears are both pierced to allow for the escape of gasses during firing to prevent cracking in the kiln. Kui Xing is the deity who distributes literary degrees. He is shown standing to Wen Chang’s left and is depicted on a much smaller scale, indicating their relative importance, holding an opened book marked out with vertical columns for calligraphy. Typically he is shown to be wild-looking, with hair in horn-like clumps at the sides of his head. He is barefoot, open-mouthed and has a pockmarked face. Around his shoulders is a long flowing scarf. He wears a short robe tied at the waist with a broad girdle and belt. Inside the sculpture is hollow apart from the head and the sides were scraped before the piece was glazed inside and out with a yellow-tinged glaze. The tips of Wen Chang’s fingers and the edges of Kui Xing’s scarf are damaged.
IMG
Comments:Harrison-Hall 2001:Wen Chang is believed to be the deification of a historical figure: Zhang Yu of the Tang period or Zhang Dazi of the Jin era. Kui Xing, as his name suggests, is believed to reside in the star group Kui, the trapezoidal section of the Great Dipper. Often this constellation is depicted above his head. Wen Chang and Kui Xing are portrayed in an ink on paper hanging scroll of the God of Literature by Ding Yunpeng (active c. 1584-1638), dated 1596, in the British Museum. Kui Xing is shown holding a ‘bi’ [writing brush] and a ‘sheng’ [rice measure] which together make the pun ‘literary success’.
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![[Qing Dynasty] British female painter—Elizabeth Keith, using woodblock prints to record China from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China—1915-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-191x300.png)
