The Past in the Present: Script and Archaism in Modern Chinese Art
(from 6th Oct 2010 until 27th Feb 2011)Explore the influence of early Chinese writing and artefacts on the art of the twentieth century and beyond.
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The Oath in the Peach Garden
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Description
Zhou Jingxin is well-known for paintings of figures from vernacular fiction, in this case the heroes Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guang Yu from the novel Sanguo yanyi or Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong. Such heroes have a long history of representation in woodblock illustrations and on porcelain, where they appear similarly labelled.
The scene illustrated here is the opening leaf of the album, and depicts the episode in which the three heroes swear allegiance to one another, while incense burns in a ritual vessel of ancient form.
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Details
- Associated place
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Asia › China › Jiangsu province › Nanjing (place of creation)
- Date
- 1992
- Artist/maker
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Zhou Jingxin (born 1959) (artist)Zhou Jingxin (born 1959) (calligrapher)after Luo Guanzhong (active c. 1330 - 1398) (author)
- Associated people
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Guan Yu (died AD 219) (subject)Liu Bei (AD 161 - 223) (subject)Zhang Fei (died AD 221) (subject)
- Material and technique
- ink and colour on paper
- Dimensions
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page 44.5 x 44.5 cm (height x width)
painting 34.5 x 34.5 cm (height x width)
- Material index
- Technique index
- Object type index
- No. of items
- n/a
- Credit line
- Presented in honour of the forthcoming 70th birthdays of Jose Mauricio and Angelita Trinidad Reyes, 1995.
- Accession no.
- EA1995.294.a
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Further reading
Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 24 September-1 December 1996, Modern Chinese Paintings: The Reyes Collection in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Vainker, Shelagh (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 1996), no. 124 on p. 90, p. 9, illus. p. 90 fig. 124
Glossary
porcelain
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porcelain
Ceramic material composed of kaolin, quartz, and feldspar which is fired to a temperature of c.1350-1400⁰c. The resulting ceramic is vitreous, translucent, and white in colour.
Past Exhibition
see (1)-
The Past in the Present: Script and Archaism in Modern Chinese Art
(from 6th Oct 2010 until 27th Feb 2011)
Location
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- currently in research collection
Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.
Publications online
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Modern Chinese Paintings: The Reyes Collection in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The scene illustrated here is the opening leaf of the album. Dated 1992 and entitled The Oath in the Peach Garden it depicts the episode in which the three heroes of the novel swear allegiance to one another. The robust style of the painting is suited to the swashbuckling, popular nature of the novel.
Notice
Objects from past exhibitions may have now returned to our stores or a lender. Click into an individual object record to confirm whether or not an object is currently on display. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis, so please contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular Eastern Art object.
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