Pair of Boys on Kylins

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Pair of Boys on Kylins

About the Item

Modeled in mirror image, each grouping depicting a smiling boy seated on the back of a kylin, turning towards the viewer with the hands raised, one boy holding a lotus branch and the other with a ruyi scepter, the beast standing foursquare, molded with overlapping scales and pierced on the back with a small hole, also with the head turned towards the viewer and with the mouth open, nostrils flared and eyes bulging, all decorated in famille verte enamels on the biscuit. The boys dressed in pale green robes embellished with a crane badge and chrysanthemum blooms, the kylins painted green with black-outlined scales and hooves, yellow heads with black dappling, aubergine-tone eyebrows and beard and a bright red mouth. Kangxi-period biscuit figures of boys are amongst the liveliest and most humorous figures created in the Qing dynasty. The present examples are no exception. Contentedly riding on the animated kylins, these boys are imbued with happy and playful countenances. Other Kangxi models of boys feature similar renderings of the facial features and expressions, while the pose and groupings vary. Versions of the present model were made in at least three sizes (see related examples above), and the subject continued to be produced into the Qianlong period. While images of boys had been an established decorative motif on porcelains, the kylin as a subject experienced a surge of popularity in the Shunzhi reign. Seventeenth-century depictions of the mythological creature are distinct, featuring “the head of a dragon, the body of a deer but scaly, the tail of a Buddhist lion, and the hooves of a goat.” Much like the painted decoration on famille verte wares of the period, this grouping was intended to relate a visual rebus. A son was the greatest blessing that could be bestowed upon a young Chinese couple; early figures of seated boys were given as wedding gifts to relate a marriage wish for the birth of many males. This pair carries a similar sentiment. The kylin, a gentle and kind creature despite its fierce appearance, was regarded much like the Western stork. As the courier of infant boys, its presence connoted the happy arrival of a son. This model, combining a small boy and the kylin, would have constructed a well-meaning wish for the birth of many boys.

Dimensions:
Height: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Porcelain
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
1685-1700
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: P92261stDibs: LU103321190772