A Chinese famille rose 'Three Kingdoms' bowl
Late Qing dynasty, apocryphal Daoguang mark
The...

A Chinese famille rose 'Three Kingdoms' bowl

Late Qing dynasty, apocryphal Daoguang mark

The front enamelled with Huang Chengyan guiding Lu Xun out of Zhuge Liang's trap, the reverse with a long inscription retelling the story the base with iron-red six-character seal mark, 18cm diameter.

清晚期 粉彩繪三國演義圖紋碗，礬紅篆書「大清道光年製」寄托款

During the Three Kingdoms period, following Liu Bei’s failed military campaign against the state of Wu, the Wu general Lu Xun pursued Liu Bei’s retreating forces westward. Upon reaching a place called Yufu by the riverbank, Lu Xun reportedly sensed an ominous and intense atmosphere of impending violence. When he inquired about this unsettling presence, the local inhabitants informed him that Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei’s chief strategist, had once passed through this area and arranged stones on the river sands to form a military formation.

Lu Xun dismissed this account with amusement, considering it nothing more than a superstitious trick intended to mislead the unwary. Confident and skeptical, he rode his horse directly into the formation.

However, once inside, a fierce wind suddenly arose. In an instant, sand and stones flew violently through the air, obscuring the sky. Jagged rocks loomed like swords; mounds of sand and earth stood in layers like mountainous terrain. The roar of the river resembled the thunderous beat of war drums, amplifying the illusion of chaos and danger.

At that critical moment, an elderly man (Huang Chengyan) appeared. He told Lu Xun that he had entered the Eight Arrays Formation (八陣圖), a complex and ever-shifting tactical configuration devised by Zhuge Liang. Before leaving, Zhuge Liang had instructed Huang not to assist any generals from the state of Wu should they become lost within the formation. Nonetheless, unwilling to see Lu Xun perish, the old man guided him safely out of the trap.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation and the mercy he had received, Lu Xun promptly dismounted and bowed in gratitude to his unexpected savior.