A CHINESE FAMILLE-VERTE 'LADIES READING' DISH

Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period

清康熙 閱讀仕女圖紋盤

The dish resting on a tapered foot rising to curved steep sides, with interior decorated with an informal domestic scene of two aristocratic ladies, both dressed in flowing robes, the two figures depicted smiling and gazing at each other whilst sat on a rock formation, one of the figures holding a book while the other points to the text, a large rocky outcrop in the background bearing a vessel with coral, a teapot and cup, an incense burner and a stemmed-bowl with fruits, surronding by flowers and at the forefront a rabbit standing next to a smaller rock,

20cm diameter

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PROVENANCE:

From the esteemed Collection of Mr. Basil Ionides and the Hon. Mrs. Nellie Ionides;

Thence by descent to Lady Camilla Panufnik née Jessel, (b. December 7, 1937), who married renown symphonic composer, Andrzej Panufnik.

來源：

巴茲爾·艾奧尼德斯先生與尊貴的內莉·艾奧尼德斯閣下伉儷珍藏；

此後家族傳承至米拉·帕努夫尼克 （生於 1937 年 12 月 7 日），其丈夫為著名交響樂團作曲家安傑伊·帕努夫尼克 。

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Nellie Ionides, born in July 2, 1883 1883 and passing away on November 15, 1962, was a distinguished English collector, connoisseur, and philanthropist. Renowned for her fervent dedication to preserving cultural heritage, she notably rescued the 18th-century Octagon Room at Orleans House in Twickenham from impending destruction. Furthermore, she generously bequeathed this historical treasure, along with numerous pieces from her extensive art collection, to the local council, now known as the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Nellie was the second child and eldest daughter of Sir Marcus Samuel and his wife Fanny (née Benjamin). Her father, Marcus, had notably served as Lord Mayor of London and established the Shell Transport and Trading Company, later evolving into Royal Dutch Shell.

Nellie's passion for art burgeoned from an early age, particularly focusing on Chinese porcelain and 18th-century artworks. This predilection not only shaped her personal identity but also her social standing within the British elite. Eager to share her collections with the public, she actively engaged with prestigious institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the Royal Academy, and the British Museum, contributing to the enrichment of cultural heritage.

During the 1930s, Nellie aligned herself with influential figures like Sir Philip Sassoon, using her private apartments as exhibition spaces. In addition to her dedication to art preservation and philanthropy, Nellie Ionides was celebrated for her remarkable collection of Kangxi porcelain. Notably, in July 1947, members of the Oriental Ceramic Society were captivated by her and her husband's exquisite array of Chinese porcelain. Her generous donations to esteemed institutions like the V&A Museum, the British Museum, and the Brighton Pavilion further solidified her legacy as a prominent figure in the preservation of cultural treasures.

內莉·艾奧尼德斯（1883年7月2日-1962年11月15日），為一名英國傑出的收藏家、鑑賞家和慈善家。她以對保護文化遺產的熱忱奉獻而聞名。她著名地挽救了位於特威克納姆的奧爾良豪斯的十八世紀八角房間，使其免於即將被摧毀的命運。此外，她慷慨地將這個歷史寶藏以及她廣泛的藝術收藏中的眾多作品遺贈給了當地的議會，即現為倫敦泰晤士河畔列治文區。 內莉內莉是馬庫斯·塞繆爾爵士和其妻子范妮（婚前姓本傑明）的第二個孩子和長女。她的父親馬庫斯曾任倫敦市長，創辦了殼牌運輸和貿易公司，並後來發展成為荷蘭皇家殼牌公司。

內莉對藝術的熱愛從小就萌發，特別鍾愛中國瓷器和十八世紀藝術品。此愛好不僅塑造了她的個人身份，也使她在英國精英階層中樹立社會地位。她熱衷於與維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館、皇家藝術研究院和大英博物館等著名機構合作，積極參與保育文化遺產。

在1930年代，內莉與菲利普·薩桑男爵等具影響力的人物密切合作，借出她的私人公寓用作展覽空間。除了致力於藝術保育及慈善事業外，內莉亦因其卓越的康熙瓷器收藏而受到讚譽。值得一提的是，在1947年7月，東方陶瓷協會的成員們被她和與丈夫的精美中國瓷器系列所吸引。她對維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館、大英博物館和布萊頓英皇閣的慷慨捐贈進一步鞏固了她作為文化保護界重要人物的地位。

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NOTE:

Paintings portraying graceful women in comfortable intimate settings stand out as a unique subset within the realm of domestic scenes. James Cahill proposes that these casual portrayals of close companionship were crafted with the intention of appealing to female patrons. Cahill provides an account and visual representations of a seventeenth-century album comprising eight leaves, each capturing the enduring bond between two finely dressed ladies. It's plausible that such artistic depictions influenced the artisans in Jingdezhen who depicted similar themes on porcelain. For further exploration of this topic, refer to James Cahill's work "Pictures for Use and Pleasure: Vernacular Painting in High Qing China," published in Berkeley in 2010, particularly pages 124-129.

Please see a pair of dishes also in famille-verte decoration of the same theme of elegant ladies, both dishes are also shallow and finely potted and unmarked, sold at Sothebys, London, 2 November 2022, Lot 333 (£30,240); another another similar pair sold at Sotheby's, New York, 21 March 2018, Lot 510 (£8,750); another pair bequethead by Henry J Oppenheim housed at the British Museum, Collection No. (1947,0712.300.a-b).

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