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Kangxi Southern Inspection Tour / Lu Jianguang

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wgeoff
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« on: March 10, 2014, 08:55:03 pm »

My submission this week should suit traditionalists (like me) - a set of six bottles depicting part of the Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour.

Whether they are copies taken from the Wang Hui's Scroll or just the artist's imagination, I'm not sure. But the quality of the bottles is very good, amongst my best, so I will show both sides from each bottle








Here are two close-ups, taken from the 7th and 12th (last) bottles



How the artist manages to put eyebrows, eyes, moustache and other facial and clothing features on a figure which is only 7mm tall, I don't know - these features can only be seen through a magnifying glass.

The writing on the first bottle and a seal which appears on the bottom of every bottle is given here



In this rare case, I believe I know the artist and date - Lu Jianguang, 1999
In fact, I saw the artist at work in China Arts & Crafts Hong Kong in the early 2000's - a rare privilege.
 
« Last Edit: January 13, 2021, 09:36:23 pm by wgeoff » Report Spam   Logged

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Wattana
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« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2014, 09:21:11 pm »

Geoff,

I don't collect inside painted bottles, but after seeing these I am very tempted to start doing so! This set very much appeals to my aesthetic taste. I await responses to your question from some of the forum members with Chinese classical knowledge.

Thanks for sharing.

Tom
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« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2014, 09:45:19 pm »

Great examples Geoff!  Can not believe the details....
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« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2014, 09:46:05 pm »

Outstanding !!!
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« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2014, 07:05:20 am »

Dear Geoff,
are you sure they are not transfer print? The enlargements are not sharp enough to judge that, but at least the red seal looks surely printed to me.
Giovanni
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« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2014, 07:11:59 am »

Geoff,
   The bottles look great. I have one Lu Jianguang in my collection.
Joey
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Peter Bentley 彭达理
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« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2014, 09:19:06 am »

Hi Geoff

If  those  are  really  genuine  Lu Jianguang  they are  worth  over  US$ 4,000    each,  maybe  even more  to the   right  buyer

Last  time I saw a  genuine   Lu Jianguang  for sale   was  in  WXS's  Hengshui  museum  shop  and the  price  was  RMB 30,000 +

To save me  time ,  please    copy  all your  bottle   pics  to  a  data  file  and  give  to me  on a  USB  stick next time  we  meet  so I can    upload into  my  data base .

I  will create a  new   category  for  bottles  in your  collection. 

 The   letter " G"  is    still  free  in my    reference code   system !

Cheers

Peter


* ARTIST SOURCE REFERENCE CODES (Rev 21.1.2014).doc (81.5 KB - downloaded 21 times.)
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wgeoff
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« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2014, 09:36:44 am »

Thanks All

Are they genuine Lu Jianguang? Well, the man I saw in CAC when I bought the bottles certainly looked like the Lu Jianguang on your website Peter - maybe a double, but a pretty good inside painter also.

The seal is stamped through the bottle neck on to the bottom of the bottle - just like a seal, in fact. It's smaller than the bottle neck hole so a small stick bearing the seal will fit through. The bottles are quite definitely painted, not printed. When I have some time tomorrow, I'll do some more enlargements.

Geoff
« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 05:23:13 pm by wgeoff » Report Spam   Logged

Peter Bentley 彭达理
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« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2014, 10:52:58 am »

Hi  Geoff

If  you  bought  the  bottles   at  CAC  (was  it  at  Star  House  where  CAC  hosted  the  monthly  artist  until  end  of  last  year)  and  THE  Lu Jianguang  was  there  as  visiting  artist-of-the-month    then  the  bottles  are  certainly  genuine.

The  only  trick  is  whether   the  bottles   were  actually  painted  by  LJG  himself  or  one  of  his  students  (or whether   the  bottles   were  some of  his  paint-n-sell-for- quick- sale quality .  I bought  a  couple  of  Huang San  bottles that  way  from  Huang  San  in person @ CAC  -  very   cheap  but  very  little   artistic  value )

You  were   10  ( 15  ? ! )  years  ahead  of   the  times   here  in HK !

 I only wish  that

a)   I had  been  where   you   were  then

b)  We  had  met  up   15  years   earlier  !

On the  other  hand  .... lots  to   say ....  so    meet   you in the    Pub  OK?

We do need  to  meet  up  again and   exchange  notes....

Cheers
Peter

« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 11:07:00 am by Peter Bentley 彭达理 » Report Spam   Logged

wgeoff
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« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2014, 10:58:43 pm »

Here are some more images taken from the above bottle photos, from the 5th, 6th, 10th and 11th photos above




Also two seals from different bottles plus a full bottom photo to show where the seals are placed



I think the seals are stamped using the same tool but different amounts of paint on the seal causes slightly different images.

« Last Edit: March 11, 2014, 11:54:39 pm by wgeoff » Report Spam   Logged

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« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2014, 02:22:56 am »

Geoff

Now that I look at the detail of the figures given their relative size, I have to admit that there seem no real brush strokes and unevenness typically seen.  These IPB artists are masters at making the figures look normal at eye sight but once examined under a magnifying glass the detail is lost.  In your case, the detail is almost too perfect to be painted.  In any case, nice bottles, but I just can not be sure, to be honest....

Sorry if I cast some doubt on these.  It does NOT take anything away from liking them, a lot....
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« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2014, 03:00:21 am »

Dear Pat,
with the pictures provided up to now, I agree with you. In my opinion these bottles are not painted. To be sure, we need more detailed pictures. In particular, more sharp.
What I don't agree is about liking them even if printed. Sorry but, if printed, I would not keep them. Matter of my mentality. Grin
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Giovanni
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« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2014, 04:26:57 am »

OK, I'll show them to Peter for his opinion.

Geoff
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« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2014, 04:39:10 am »

All,

I am intrigued by the suggestion that these are printed images. Surely, if the 'artist of the month' was ensconced at CAC, demonstrating his skills, and these bottles were sold as his products, then he could not possibly have been selling anything but genuinely hand-painted bottles.

Tom
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« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2014, 05:07:24 am »

I would hope so

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« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2014, 05:09:32 am »

Tom

What we (at least Giovanni and me) are saying is that there is a possibility that these were printed.  Only a high end magnifying glass or a high resolution picture can confirm or refute this, or as Geoff is suggesting have a second opinion by Peter, bottles in hand.  

I have never (yet) seen figures (and so many) of 7mm max height painted with this level of detail.  But as I said, I can certainly be wrong and happy if I am.  What also intrigues me is the (almost) mono choice of dress color for all the figures, but ofcourse they are uniforms.. Just my point of view...Would love to hold these in hand!
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« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2014, 05:33:54 am »

Dear all

I am following this thread with much interest.

Having met Master Lu Jianguang on a few occasions and collected several of his bottles, I am sure these bottles are painted and genuine. In fact, Lu is a talented inside painter and is good in painting many different subjects such as landscapes, portraits and figures. His calligraphy skill is also one of the best in the Ji School. Some of you may recall my earlier postings of some of his bottles under the Inside Painted Bottle board.

Regarding the numerous figures painted, it is absolutely possible. If any of you have a chance to take a look at some of the earlier works of Master Li Kechang from the Shandong school, you will get what I mean. He is well known for painting very complex subject with many minute figures in his bottles.

As for the choice of the dress colour, this is a reproduction from an ancient scroll and the artist is just copying the colours from the original painting.

Just my observations.

Regards.


Richard

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« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2014, 05:56:32 am »

Richard

Great to hear that (and I am sure Geoff too).  Thanks for your point of view. 
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« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2014, 01:30:30 pm »

Richard,
    Thank you. I myself felt they were 'right', but I have a big problem OKing stuff over the net.
Best,
 Joey
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wgeoff
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« Reply #19 on: March 13, 2014, 01:05:25 am »

Thanks Richard

Peter was able to view these bottles today and confirms they are inside painted not printed.

He was also able to make a super-close-up photo of bottle 7 above (a much closer version of the close-up photo which I supplied of bottle 7) and here are two figures taken from his super-close-up



You can see these figures as the ones in blue robes in the top left row of my own close-up of bottle 7.

Thanks Peter for these - I think they clearly show painted figures. I will have to get a better macro camera.

It is worth noting that the bottle images in my first posting above (85mm tall on my screen) are larger than the real bottles (75mm tall) and the figures I have shown above from Peter's photo are actually less than 3mm tall.
I can understand why they may have been thought of as printed not painted.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2014, 01:06:35 pm by George » Report Spam   Logged

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