Kavel 2708

A Chinese porcelain charger decorated in underglaze blue depicting a scene from 'The Romance of the Western Chamber', a play written by the Yuan dynasty dramatist Wang Shifu (王實甫), and set during the Tang dynasty. Known as 'China's most popular love comedy', it is the story of a young couple consummating their love without parental approval, and has been seen both as a 'lover's bible' and 'potentially lethal', as readers were in danger of pining away under its influence. A similar plate with a different scene from the 'Romance of the Western Chamber' is illustrated in C.J.A. Jörg, 'Chinese and Japanese porcelain in the Frits Lugt Collection', Foundation Custodia, Paris, 2023, Page 216-217, catalogue number 104. China, Kangxi period (1662-1722) -D. 43 cm-