Imre Jakabffy (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 6. (Budapest, 1979)

KÁRPÁTI, Andrea: „Blanc de Chine" porcelain in the collection of the Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts

I. Standing figures 1/1. Kuan-yin as Sung-tzu (Inv.-Nr: 57.2 and 69.104, Fig. 1). The statuette represents a woman standing on a stylised rock-mount, wearing the dress of courtladies. Seated on her right arm is a child, while her left hand disappears among the folds of her dress. Her robe sits tight on her column body, and the folds are arranged in an archaic pattern. Only the edge of the robe is waving freely. The theme of Sung-tzu-representations is the mother-and-child togetherness, but our Sung-tzu has a very small child (10 cm) for her 60-cm-long body. Perhaps it is not exactly a goddess-representation, to which no other attributes refer, no veil of compassion, no urna-dot, on her forehand, no jewel or rosary around her neck. Both the hairstyle and the garments of our figure resemble the court-ladies of the Dresden collection. It might also be a variant on this theme, and can be dated between 1675 and 1725. The glaze of one of the pieces (Inv.-Nr : 57.2) is crackled — which is due to the fact that it was fired at an over-high temperature — as Donnelly pointed out in connection with similar pieces from Kassel and Dresden. Both figures bear some traces of paint, on this we shall comment later. 1/2. Kuan-yin, as

. Kuo-hai (Inv.-Nr: 58.278, Fig. 2). Let us have a look at a variant from the end of the 18th century. The goddess is represented in a turning position, on a stylised wavemount. The head is till stiff on the slender neck, the face still assumes a strict countenance of meditation. The veil on her head looks as though it were made of metal, it frames the face with symmetric waves. But it is not only the edge of the robe that seems to move, the whole drapery follows the movement of the turning body. The folds are arranged plastically: the robe is divided by fewer and deeper plaits, and the dynamic effect of light-and-shade contrasts enhances the sense of movement suggested by the figure. The glaze of it is milky white. Together with the characteristics mentioned above, it also suggests that it was made in the late 18th century or in the early part of the 19th century. The forearms of our statuette are missing. As there is no trace of crackle, they must have been moveable. II. Seated figures II/l. Kuan-yin, seated on a lotus throne (Inv.-Nr: 69.3, Fig. 3). The goddess assumes the posture of lalitasana on her lotus throne. The throne-attribute derives from one of the denominations of Avalokiteshvara: ,,Padma-pani", wich means ,,lotus-born", that is why she is represented sitting in the calyx of a lotus flower so often. There is a pearl in her left palm, while she assumes the mudra of consolation (,,kataka-mudra") with her right hand. On her head there is a diadem, with a medailon of the dhayani Buddha in the centre. Her dress is decorated with a net of pearl strings. The composition is schematic, but the details are beautifully elaborated, the glaze being ivory coloured and lustrous. The figure can be dated between 1675 and 1725. II/2. Kuan-yin, seated on rock (Inv.Nr: 370, fig. 4/a—4/b). Wrapped in her and the jewel on the bosom of the godess. assumes the posture of lalitasana. The plasticity of the composition is stiffened by the sharp folds, which create an effect, similar to that of bronze sculptures.