19. From the Collection of Peter & Susan Wain Covered Cup decorated with the tale of The Three Errant Knights, painted by Hu Fengjian, with an inscription reading “The girl in the red dress stands aside rolling up the curtain, How is her intelligence in comparison with a hero? Hu Fengjian, the son-in-law presented this respectfully to the father-in-law as a souvenir of the New Year Day of 1954”, with a further inscription on the lid, porcelain, 130mm. high, 1954.
est. £400 – £600
The artist is cleverly expressing his gratitude to his father-in-law for raising a daughter as virtuous as Hongfo Nu in helping her husband. The cup depicts the meeting of Li Jing and Quiran Ke, arranged by Li’s lover, Hongfu Nu, three legendary characters who helped the first emperor of the Tang dynasty to overthrow the Sui dynasty. The relevance to New China is validated by the inscription on the lid, with the peach-form knop serving as a symbol of longevity.