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Subject:Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Joe Fri, May 13, 2011 IP: 69.121.6.98

I recently purchased the above plaque that is signed by Wang DaFang. It measures 14 1/2" x 10". Can anyone help me with what the inscription says and does it provide a date as to when the piece was made? Thank you in advance. Joe







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Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Bill H Sat, May 14, 2011

Wang Dafan (1888-1961) is counted among the acclaimed group of Jingdezhen porcelain painters known as the 'Eight Friends of Zhushan'. He was known for his figural painting and was capable of greater artistic expression than is evident in your plaque.

Here is a small, apprx. four inch-high vase that sold at auction a couple of years ago. It has the signature of Wang Dafan and probably is of the period, judging by its huge hammer price of over a thousand dollars per inch. The painting certainly is more representative of Wang's style.

Best regards,

Bill H.



Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Joe Sat, May 14, 2011

More pictures







Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Bill H Sat, May 14, 2011

Further to my comment, the bold four-character title may be read as 'Illumination on High by the Three Stars'. This refers to the three Star Gods of Daoism shown in the picture from left to right as Shouxing (longevity), Luxing (emoluments) and Fuxing (fortune) with an acolyte. The other line to the left begins with a nominal date of the Wu Chen cyclical year (1928, 1988, etc.).

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Joe Sat, May 14, 2011

Bill,
Your help is invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Joe

Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Bill H Sat, May 14, 2011

A further detail I missed first time around is that your plaque is signed as by 'Wang Dafan' whereas this artist seems usually to have signed his work as by 'Dafan Wang', as done on the small vase, in line with post-Qing etiquette.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Joe Sun, May 15, 2011

Bill,

Have you seen other pieces in which he signed his name "Wang Dafan" as in my piece? Or can my piece be a copy in which they signed it backwards by mistake? Thank you again for all your help.

Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Bill H Mon, May 16, 2011

One of Wang's plaques is illustrated as No. 126 in 'The Great Fortune', a 2002 catalog published in hardcover of the well known collection of Georg Weishaupt. The inscription in Chinese says the work is painted by 'Dafan Wang of Yishan', although the catalog translation follows the usual Chinese pattern of placing the surname first as 'Wang Dafan'.

I reviewed Christie's online archives and found three previous auctions involving porcelain paintings that Wang had signed with his full name. Only one of the three was signed with the surname first. However, the auction house also translated all inscriptions with the surname first, though the others were signed 'Dafan Wang' in Chinese, including the one shown at the link below.

The more important point that I've tried to make is that your plaque appears to have been painted by a less accomplished artist than Wang, and in that way it strikes me indeed as a fabrication made after Wang's lifetime. If not that, then Wang and his brushes must've all been having a bad hair day.

Best regards,

Bill H.

URL Title :DafanWANG


Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Joe Tue, May 17, 2011

Bill,

Thank you for all help. As I said previously, your help is invaluable and greatly appreciated, not just by myself but all the other people you have helped in this forum.
Joe

Subject:Re: Chinese Porcelain Plague Help
Posted By: Ian Dubin Mon, Oct 16, 2017

Hi Joe, Hi Bill

I stumbled on this thread as I have also been researching Wang Dafan (or Dafan Wang).

I recently acquired a number of quadryptych Ceramic paintings signed and sealed by this artist.

Provenance is good as they came from the estate of a 'collector' who operated in Hong Kong from the fifties to the early 90s.

I attach representative photos of one set including the signature details.

Thanks to a translation kindly done by Mr. I Nagy on this forum I believe this one is entitled ‘Nine Fellows of Xiangshan’ and is sealed and signed ‘Year of Earth Dragon (1928) Wang Dafan painted
at Zhushan’.

I've included a picture of the back of the panels as well to show the mounting.

I will note that the artist's seal appears to be somewhat different than the one in Joe's plaque but what do I know?

Grateful for any comments.

Thanks in advance.

Ian Dubin

PS - Bill, I have posted a number of Ceramic Marks in the China/Japan forum, but have had little response other than a translation of a Sun Yat Sen wedding commemorative vase.

If you have a chance I would be grateful if you could cast your expert eye over them with a view to an opinion as to their likely dates?

Thanks again












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