13th May, 2026 10:00

Chinese Art 中國藝術
 
  Lot 8
 

A very fine Chinese blue and white 'chrysanthemum poem' dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period
清康熙 青花菊紋詩文盤

The finely potted dish of shallow form, decorated to the center with flowering chrysanthemum branches issuing from rockwork and besides an inscribed poem, the base bearing a six-character mark of Chenghua, the poem reading:

紫白紅黃種色新 (line on the right)

移來秋便有精神 (line on the left)

These two lines are from a poem from the novel titled 玉嬌梨 (Two Fair Cousins) and forms part of a seven-character and six-lines verse below:

紫白紅黃種色新,移來秋便有精神 (inscribed on the present dish)

好從籬下尋高土,漫向簾前似前身

莫言門閉官衙冷,香滿床頭已浹旬

(Quantity:1)

Dimensions: 16.5cm diameter

Provenance:

Santos Collection

來源:

桑托斯收藏

Notes:

This poem, praises the beauty of chrysanthemum flowers, however, it has no title and no name of the poet. A literal translation would read "Purple, white, red, yellow colour bright and fresh, blooming gorgeously in autumn". The first line is about the beauty of chrysanthemum flowers, the second line could also imply that its beauty is refreshing, aside from blooming itself. The only published translation into English of the whole poem was derived from a French one by M. Abel-Remusat published in 1827 by Hunt and Clarke, from York Street, Convent Garden, London.

Fair flower! for whose beauty’s kind nature united

Her deep purple shade, and her bright tints of snow;

In her gold she then decks’ thee, and lastly invited

Her carnation along the soft surface to glow.

By what hand wert thou flung from Elysium to earth?

And as thus through the lattice sweet flower, thou art peeping,

Must thou waste all thy bloom for a lone maiden's mirth.

Whilst the sage that should court all thy beauties is sleeping?

What a calm is around-'tis the stillness of heaven;

All liberty's soul seems too sweet in my breast,

And I feel as if now to my spirit’ were give,

To fly to some holier region of rest.

Few-few are the hours from the world I can steal,

To forget all its cares 'mod the balm of thy breathing;

Oh, give me on earth naught to see or to feel,

Through the long endless day, but thy fragrance and wreathing.

此詩雖無題亦無作者署名,然其意境清雅,深得文人詠物之精髓。詩文首句「紫白紅黃色鮮新」,以淺白而生動之筆觸,勾勒出菊花於秋日爭奇鬥豔之盛景;次句「爛漫開時秋最真」,除詠其花開之姿,更蘊含「菊花綻放方顯秋韻」之哲思,意境雋永,清新脫俗。關於此詩之譯本,學術界曾有一段極為罕見之流傳歷程。據記載,此詩之首個英文譯本並非直接譯自漢文,而是轉譯自法國漢學家 雷慕沙 (M. Abel-Rémusat) 之法譯版本。該英文譯本由 Hunt and Clarke 出版社(倫敦考文特花園約克街)於 1827年 正式刊行。

Estimate
£4,000 - £6,000
 

Buyer's premium: 26.00% plus VAT

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