Item No.: 1058
Name: A yangcai brush pot with the Four Consorts and Sixteen Sons motif
Period: Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign
Rim diameter: 18.0 cm
The Chinese commentary relates this auspicious motif to the early Qing response to population losses following the late Ming wars. Policies from the Kangxi to Qianlong reigns are described as encouraging births without increasing taxes. The figures are interpreted as a general wish for good government, family happiness, and flourishing descendants, rather than a depiction of a specific household.
The brush pot has straight sides, a low ring foot, and a turquoise-glazed interior. Its exterior has incised brocade decoration in pale yellow and pinkish red. The bi-disc-shaped base includes an unglazed ring revealing a smooth, fine body. Within it, a turquoise ground surrounds a six-character “Da Qing Qianlong nianzhi” seal mark in red enamel.