Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 11. (Budapest, 1991)

FERENCZY Mária: A modernizáció megjelenése a századeleji kínai ábrázolásokon

pies across the river that they might meet. This is the Feast of Women. Cf. BREDON—METRO PHANOW: pp.370-376.; TUN LI-CHEN: p.59. This latter episode of the story is represented on New Year pictures more often than ours e.g. CHPP 1988: nos. 124., 125.; A YING: no.41.; EUASBERG: p.71.(no.46.). 21. Cf. AIJLKSEIEV, V.M.: V starom Kitae. Puteshestviya v 1906—1907 godah. Moscow 1957. p.44. As can be judged by the reproduction, not only the theme and the composition are identical with ours on the print bought by Alexeiev in 19061907, but the details also. Both prints are unsigned. It seems probable that both prints originated from the same shop, and our picture, although not printed with the same blocks but with blocks modelled minutely after the old one. As to the differences in hand-colouring, the white lines marking the waves are more carelessly done than on the older print. 22. A similar signature (in a shorter form) is to be found on the picture The Treasures of Modern Prosperity (no.15.), and on CHPP 1988: no.128. 23. The blocks are of the same type as those of the former print, cf. note 17. 24. This is corroborated by the presence of the monkey; he arrived there from a literary source: Sun Wu-k'ung, hero of the novel Journey to the West once pilfered from the Orchard of the Magic Peaches ) cf. WU CH'ENG-EN: Hsi yu chi, Chapter 5. 25. The small table under the bowl of peaches on the terrace looks as if posted behind the farther end of the terrace. It is not known either if the lower part of the buildings and trees of the bank in the background are covered by a cloud, or by a flood — or enveloped in a mist to create a perspective. 26. This modern piece, modelled after older patterns and produced in Wei-hsien, Shantung province, is more rustic in style and was made using block-printing only, without any hand-colouring. Its being also from North China is perhaps not entirely accidental: Hsi-wang-mu, a very old deity, was the object of this kind of Taoist cult more in North China than elsewhere. Cf. BREDON—MITROPHANOW: p.234. 27. With the same shop sign: KNK 1987: nos. 9., 10. and 23. 28. Translation: Harmony in the world (T'ien hsia t'ai p'ing). 29. Cf. ALEKSEIEV 1966: pp. 172-186.; EBERHARD: p.133. In the manner typical of Chinese tradition the personification of a pun expressing a lucky omen, which had thus become a kind of "unknown deity", was linked with Han-shan, the eccentric hermit and poet, and Shih-te, his companion (both lived in the seventh century A.D). 30. To cite just a few examples illustrating the diversity of this double theme: Liu liai represented alone: KNK 1987: no.6.; UNTERRIEDER: p. 130.; ALEKSEIEV 1966: p.187. (no. 89., triplets with the attributes of Liu Hai). Twins are represented e.g. in ALEKSEIEV 1966: p.l81.(no.86.); UNTERRIEDER: pp.84., 85.— In ALEKSEIEV 1966: p.188. (no.90.) and in CHIPP 1988: no.65. (in the lower part of the picture) twin Liu Hais appear. 31. Signature identical with pictures The Chemise Set with Pearls (no.ll.) and European Hunters (no.16.), and with CHPP 1988: nos.7L, 91. 32. Although similar in design, neither of these could be regarded as a genuine correspondence; in the clouds a money-dragon (in the latter a peach of immortality) is represented. According to their inscriptions their basic message is prosperity and long life respectively. 33. Chuang yuan: candidate placed first at the third, highest grade of official examinations, conducted nominally by the emperor in person. On the meaning of the inscription cf. CHAVANNES: p.30. 34. Explanation offered by the picture in A YING: p.62. where four children with tufted hair shoot at three little ornate round targets (stylized coins in fact) with bows and arrows. The title is a pun, meaning: win first place in three examinations one after the other! 35. The two identical prints reached the Museum from two different sources after the death of the original owners. It was therefore impossible to know whether or not they were companions during their journey home and bought the pictures at the same place. 36. A comparison of the two impressions reveals an interesting technical detail: it can be shown through the identity of details and the fittings that both were printed with the same blocks, but in the time between the printing of the two the abrasion or defect on the yellow and the green blocks were corrected by chiselling. It is even more striking to note that several details, mainly clothes, have been hand-coloured with different colours. 37. According to sources accessible to me, this set phrase is comparatively recent: the first part (chih jih, literally 'point at the sun') has been put into dictionaries with the meaning 'in a short time', 'soon', 'in the near future'. With the meaning 'good wish' it is registered by the dictionaries as having been in use since the beginning of the century. Cf. MOROHASHI TETSUII: Dai kan-wa jiten. Tokyo 1970. Vol. V. p.4856. no.

12034/62.; OSHANIN,