Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries


Visitors' Forum

Asian Art  Forums - Detail List
Asian Art Forums

Message Listing by Date:
Message Index | Back | Post a New Message | Search | Private Mail | FAQ
Subject:Need help on seal script translation involving Nonya ware
Posted By: Bill H Tue, Sep 10, 2019 IP: 2601:342:200:6e70:ed

Just when I thought I'd gotten a handle on everything in my collection, I recently discovered that one of my favorite handbooks on Straits Chinese or 'Nonya' porcelains may contain a spurious reading of one artist's mark. Since I've been following the book's lead on such translations, especially with seal-script (zhuanshu) markings, I'm anxious to verify the findings.

The problematic Nonya/Peranikan/Straits Chinese mark from the book also happens to be on the back of a 7.75-inch plate of mine, images of which piece appear below with the picture of the mark annotated as to particulars. In a nutshell, the book I've been depending has the name of this porcelain painter as Wang Shen-shu (汪生肅), or Wang Shengsu in Mandarin pinyin. It appears fairly certain now that the third character of the name, Su/肅, is incorrect, and should be Tai/泰.

There definitely is or was a porcelain artist named Wang Shengtai (汪生泰) working circa the late Qing-to-Republic period, as I've found examples of his work. Oddly, I think, is that most of what I've found so far of works by this artist have been vases in the Qianjiang style and pale enamel palette, which is light years from Nonya wares. However, I found one standard character mark of 'Made by Wang Shengtai' (汪生泰造 - Wang sheng tai zao) among some standard Nonya dishes in a pattern similar to what's on the plate shown below. These dishes were on page 11 of a Malaysian auction catalog (link pasted below). I mention the page number, because on page 13 of the same catalog was a lot with three dishes described as having marks of 'Wang Sheng Su'; the one shown was identical to what's in the book and on my plate below.

https://issuu.com/dickypermana/docs/_04_february_2018_catalog__1_

What I hope to learn with this query is whether Wang Shengtai is the correct reading of the name on my dish and to get views on whether the dichotomy in styles between Qianjiang and Nonya might mean there were two artists working out there at one time with the name Wang Shengtai.

All comments welcome.

Much obliged,

Bill H.





Subject:Re: Need help on seal script translation involving Nonya ware
Posted By: I.Nagy Thu, Sep 12, 2019

The correct reading of marking is 汪生泰造 - Wang Shengtai-zao - the reference book is incorrect.
-The chaaracters are a little overcomplicatedly designed -
With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Need help on seal script translation involving Nonya ware
Posted By: Bill H Fri, Sep 13, 2019

Much obliged to you, I.Nagy. Sometimes I can see the Zhuanshu well enough to make the call confidently, but in times like this, I'm most grateful for your expert confirmation.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Need help on seal script translation involving Nonya ware
Posted By: I.Nagy Fri, Sep 13, 2019

Dear Bill,
那兒的話 !
Let me say, I rather prefer Nyonya foods to their plates.

Cheers,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Need help on seal script translation involving Nonya ware
Posted By: Bill H Sat, Sep 14, 2019

My benefactor I.Nagy,

好像是來這兒的話!

My long-ago initiation to Malaysia involved a brief stop in KL after a night train from Bangkok on a light-luggage holiday with an office buddy. After doing the obligatory Batu Caves, we found an early afternoon hire car from KL to Malacca, fortuitously with the daughter of a Straits Chinese hotelier. In the Chinese tradition, the young lady worked in KL as her father's accountant and commuted home to Malacca on breaks. Along with lots of pleasant conversation, she shared some satay she'd brought along for the two-hour ride and offered copious inside advice to my friend and I on what to do during a couple of hours sightseeing on her home turf. Of course, neither of us ever saw her again after she split for home at Malacca, and we implemented her suggestions for a whirlwind tour of ancient Portuguese sites before again hitting the holiday road to Singapore by Jitney bus. I seldom think of the food except in terms of quantities eaten and waistline accrued on that trip. However, I believe I'll always remember that helpful Nyonya lass as one of the more wonderful ‘discoveries’ on that trek through Southeast Asia aboard ground-hugging transport.

So let me say, I believe I must prefer Nyonya girls to their palates.

Cheers,

Bill H.




Asianart.com | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries |