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Hello everyone,
could you please help me identify this Hat Stand?
I believe it is Qing Dynasty (but I'm not sure) and if so is it early or late Qing Dynasty.

Any comments would be highly appreciated.
Thanks.

Inscriptions,
美人清色　　-　Beauty of fair color
辛酉年仲冬　-　Year of Metal-Rooster (1921) Mid-Winter
碧玉軒寫　　　-　Painted by Biyuxuan
(Republic of China Jingdezhen Kiln)

With regards,
I.Nagy

Thanks a million I.Nagy. I really appreciate it.
Cheers.

FYI, Biyuxuan (碧玉軒) could be literally translated as "Green Jade Pavilion", but Biyu actually is the Chinese name for "Jasper", a semiprecious gem in the quartz family. Jasper comes in many other colors besides green.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank you Bill

Thanks again. One more question: in your transcript of the text I noticed 清 which is, I guess, the sign for the Qing dynasty and 辛酉 (Year of Metal-Rooster) in the Chinese cyclic calendar could be 60 years earlier (or am I talking nonsense)... is it possible that it is a late Qing dynasty or is it Early Republic after all... sorry, it's all Greek to me ...I mean Chinese :-)
...very confusing

Rather than "nonsense", I'll think of it as just a moment when you were speculating a bit above your pay grade.

Besides being in the dynasty name, the character "Qing"/清 has other meanings like "clear", "pure", "lucid" and "accurate". In the inscription on your hat stand, "Qing se"/清色 means "fair color/clear complexion/youthful appearance". Also, even though cyclical dates repeat every 60 years, the painting style seen on your hat stand is peculiar to the Republic of China era.

Now, a bit of a payoff for your speculation. According to the porcelain authorities at chinabogu.com, the Biyuxuan/碧玉軒, or Jasper Pavilion, did indeed come into existence at the end of the Qing dynasty and by the early years of the Republic era, was known to be painting hat stands with the "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" motif, which story involves a legendary tragic romance between a mortal guy and fairy maiden whose mum the queen wouldn't hear of it. However, a late Qing-early Republic dating still comes too late to satisfy the 1860 occurrence of your hat stand's cyclical date.

Best regards.

Bill H.

Thanks for your great response to my questions Bill.
I really appreciate it.
Best regards,
Charlie

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