€7,500
Chinese school, after Su Hanchen (1094-1172): 'The knickknack peddler', ink and colours on silk, 18th C.
Description:
Dim.: 135 x 97 cm One of the most charming themes within the genre of Chinese figure painting is that of 'the knickknack peddler', an itinerant merchant surrounded by animated children that flank his cart, laden with toys, sweet treats, and household wares. Believed to have originated with the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1269) court painter Su Hanchen and taken up by Li Song (active 1190-1265), and Wang Zhenpeng (active early 14th c.), these compositions were further embraced by artists working under imperial patronage in the dynasties that followed the fall of the Song. The merchant's cart and its contents are painstakingly detailed, and upon close inspection, one can see the speckled bamboo and elaborately wrought fittings upon which the merchant displays his wares. From the fabric canopy and bamboo poles are numerous hanging ornaments, and on one side fine porcelain and lacquer is displayed, the other an assortment of toys and sweets, the food protected from pests by a wire mesh covering. One can understand the children's excitement at the merchant's arrival, as we can all look in fascination at the array of products his cart holds. The rich details of the merchant's cart are matched by the carefully rendered clothing and delicately drawn faces of those in attendance. The children's finely woven silk brocades and gilt earrings reveal their noble, if not imperial upbringing, and their enjoyment of the event is patent in their expressions of glee and wonderment as they discover the treasures the merchant carries with him, or play with their newly acquired novelties. Although one would may expect to find an itinerant merchant within an urban environment, the elaborate rock and flowering plants indicate this is a garden setting. Likely within the walls of a family compound, the location of the painting is another indication of the wealth and prestigious status to which the children belong.
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