A POLYCHROME-DECORATED BLUE AND WHITE VASE 晚明 青花后加彩’红拂夜奔‘小象腿瓶 China, late Ming dynasty The cylinder body is decorated in underglaze blue with the scene of Lady Hongfu's secret night visit to Li Jing to elope, accompanied by the inscribed poem: At deep night, who is knocking on the gate In dishevelled clothes, I steal a glance at him.(夜深谁个扣柴扉,颠倒衣裳试觑渠）. Repainted in colors during the 19th century, with silver mounts added to the mouth and foot rim. H: 36.4cm Note During the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, many porcelain wares featuring figural decorations depicted popular theatrical stories of the time. Among these, the tale of Lady Hongfu enjoyed widespread popularity. Most examples of such wares are rendered in underglaze blue decoration. The earliest appearance of Lady Hongfu's image can be traced back to the late Tang and Five Dynasties period in the legendary novel The Tale of the Curly-bearded Guest (Qiuranke Zhuan) by Du Guangting. The story is set during the waning years of the Sui dynasty, a time of political turmoil and contending warlords. Li Jing, then a commoner, proposed strategic counsel to Yang Su, the Grand Minister of Works of the Sui court. Lady Hongfu, originally a maidservant attending Yang Su, was impressed by Li Jing’s brilliance and resolved to entrust her future to him. This vase depicts the scene from the novel where, in the dead of night, Lady Hongfu, disguised in male attire, secretly visits Li Jing’s residence to arrange their elopement.