A FAMILLE ROSE PLAQUE OF ZHONG KUI, BY WANG QI (1884-1937), DATED 1931China. The plaque of rectangular form, painted in bright enamels and iron red to depict Zhong Kui looking in the mirror at his ugly countenance, a pottery vessel and bamboo laying on the ground, with a bat flying above.Inscriptions: Upper left, signed ‘Xichang Wang Qi, painted in Zhushan’, inscribed ‘I am ugly in my life and have no shame in my heart, why should I be scared to look wild in the mirror’, dated ‘In the autumn of the Year of Xinwei’ (corresponding to 1931), and inscribed ‘painted in the style of Wang Shen’. Two seals, ‘Xichang Wang Qi’, and ‘Taomi’.Provenance: From a private collection in New York, USA, acquired on 30 July 1997 by the previous owners ‘Margaret and Donald’ on the way to boarding the ‘Yangtze Paradise’ for a cruise from Wuhan to Chongqing. The inscription on the back confirms the provenance information and describes the plaque as depicting a ‘Chinaman who failed his states exam because of his ugliness, so he kills himself after looking in the mirror and bes one of the guards to fight off evil spirits’.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear. The frame with expected age cracks, few small nicks, and light scratches.Dimensions: Image size 36 x 25.5 cm, Size incl. mounting 50 x 37.4 cmIn a wooden frame with metal mount, most likely original to the artwork. (2)Wang Qi (1884-1937) was the most outstanding porcelain painter of his day. After the fall of the Qing dynasty, imperial orders for porcelain dwindled at Jingdezhen, the main porcelain production center in China. Porcelain artists, released from imperial restraints, developed their own styles based on famous scroll painters of earlier periods. Eight of the leading artists formed a group, which despite calling themselves ‘The Full Moon Society’ came to be known as the ‘Eight Friends of Zushan’. The development of Wang Qi’s mature style can be traced to a trip he made to Shanghai in 1916 to see an exhibition of works by a group of painters called Yangzhou Baguai (the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou). Wang was so impressed by the paintings of Huang Shen, one of the Eight Eccentrics, that he started to emulate Huang’s style. But not satisfied with just emulating, over the years Wang more and more developed his own distinct style by incrementally incorporating Western painting and enameling techniques in his work.According to folklore, Zhong Kui took part in the state-wide imperial examinations held in the capital city. Though Zhong Kui attained great academic success and top honors in the state exams, his rightful title of ‘Zhuangyuan’ (top-scorer) was stripped from him by the emperor because of his disfigured and ugly appearance. In anger and fury, Zhong Kuimitted suicide by hurling himself against the palace gates until his head was broken, whereupon Du Ping, his friend, had him laid to rest. During the divine judgment after