Two Chinese famille verte brush washers. Kangxi

Decorated with famille verte enamels on the biscuit, in the form of small white-soled shoe; with a pointy up-turned toe and a single black seam over the front. The shoes have traces of black staining in the unglazed interiors, indicating they were used for rinsing inky brushes.

COUNTRY : China
PERIOD : Kangxi (1662-1722)
MATIERIAL : Porcelain (biscuit)
SIZE : 3.93 in. / 1.57 in. (10 cm x 4 cm)
REFERENCE : D415
PROVENANCE : Collection RD, Paris
STATUT : sold
Related works :

For a different model of shoe in famille verte enamels on the biscuit, see John Ayers, The Chinese Porcelain collection of Marie Vergottis, 2004, no. 91, 92.

Additonal informations :

The shoes sometimes symbolize wealth because their shape is close to the sycee, a traditional Chinese silver ingot. – Due to its pronunciation, the word “shoe (xie)” is sometimes used with other objects to mean “in harmony (xie) with.” »