Page 23 - Nov 2019 Christie's Hong Kong a Falancai Imperial Bowl.

fig. 6 Portrait of Yongzheng Emperor holding a scepter in the form fig. 7 A Beijing enamel famille rose yellow-ground tripod censer, Kangxi yuzhi mark and period
of a double lotus. Collection of Palace Museum, Beijing Sold at Christie’s London, 9 November 2004, lot 21
எݪ 㫇᫈ႽᏛనԆⷓ⸥ൈዪ⫅۬ ࢈՗ᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦৅ எӮ ᳖ᄮᾭ 㠩⫭⊺⇈⇶㿩஠⸥౵⡠᮵഍⪆Ӳ㑷‐ ǶᄮᾭᇙㅳǷ᪪
ٳᘹצ೥ᇑ卿 ჺ ᝲ ᚚ卿ᐽ৅ ⽚

evil and prolong life. However, the second plant may, alternatively, be a type ទᐽ৅⎏⸥⡠Ԡ㧿᭢Ⳟᓡᛇ卿㘺♎⶟ᆨـ㧩⎏᣿⁒
of reed luwei ( ⼕ⶻ Phragmites australis), although no seed heads are depicted. Ꮅᛓⴿⷸǯⴿⷸទ㕇Քᛓ▼⇧Ԡ⁒卿⏟۔ݰ㗠㚨ᅠ
These reeds are also regarded as auspicious – on a practical level because their
ჺ✙ഞᘤǯֿ໦Ԯज⬒ᛓ⼕ⶻ卿㫍ߺஎԋត㇦⼕♩ǯ
root system prevents soil erosion, but also because one of these reeds provides
a pun for ‘all the way’, and they can provide auspicious wishes for imperial ⼕ⶻऱ᧙ᛓम▼⎏㎜ᇨ卿ݯᡜ⡑ज㩓᫇᭢க᱁ഔ卿
examination candidates. ӻ⼕㋞Ǹ㒩ǹ卿ⲋ⯝⸥ऱᛞ߅→卿ߺᆨऱ▴㯳፽㉹
⩢ǸӬ㒩㙄☑ǹǯ
As already noted, naturalistic depictions of lotus are very rare on the yuzhi
enamelled wares of the Kangxi reign – either on porcelain or on metal
ൈӳᏒ㘚卿ᄮᾭᇙㅳ⊺⇈⇶଍⁒Ԡԋ卿Ὅ㋏ᛓ≢଍
bodies. Indeed, perhaps the closest vessel in terms of decorative arrangement
and painting style is a beautiful metal-bodied Kangxi yuzhi mark and period Ꮅ㞖ྏ⫭卿ս⯇὞༵༰⎏⸥⡠ἃ㱈⩢ᥑ⧎ǯ༰㪡ӳ卿
th
tripod censer, which was sold by Christie’s London on 9 November, 2004, ⡠㱈ᡟ཭⯝⊺㰍ᝬݰࣻ⩠܎ٿ⎏ᛓӬ։৅⏟Ӭ᱁⎏
lot 21 (fig. 7). This censer came from the famous Fonthill Collection, and
th
had been in the family since it was acquired in the 19 century by Alfred ᄮᾭᇙㅳ㠩⫭㲞‐卿᫉଍ᙻ ჺ ᝲ ᚚ⣌ٳ
Morrison (1821-1897). It is decorated with lotus plants and reeds arranged ᘹצ೥ᇑ਑߅卻ᐽ৅⤔⽚ 卼卻ވˑ卼ǯ໦߅⯇ⶬ
in a similar fashion to those on the current bowl. The censer has a yellow ल⎏ᘞྒྷ཰⯠⻦卿ⴢ㞑ᣢ卻"MGSFE .PSSJTPO卿
ground, and so in place of the yellow blossoms on the bowl, the censer has
⯍ ჺ卼ᙻࢦԬӽ⡕㐟ݣ卿⯇᫉ஙݯ།ᚉջջ
some purple flowers, in addition to the white, pink and blue blossoms shared
⏟۔ǯ㲞‐⎏⸥Ɽক⼕ⶻᡟ཭ம⯝ទᐽ৅㫥ऱǯ⊐
by both vessels. The metal-bodied censer has a blue four-character Kangxi
yuzhi mark, while some of the marks on porcelain vessels were written in ᙻ‐㕇ս㿩ⰰἃ஠卿Ꮢս⊺Ⴧ⊇⡻ⱤइջԻទ⎾⎏
rose pink enamel.
㿩Ɽ卿㱛Ӵ⎏⎊ⰰǮ⟾⡚ⰰࣿ⻤ⰰⱤࢭكऱǯ㞖ྏ
⫭㲞‐⧤⻤ᙠ୨ໃᄮᾭᇙㅳ᪪卿⩧≢଍ַԢഅ⧤⬄
Only two other Kangxi yuzhi vessels with an encircling decoration of
naturalistically painted lotuses appear to have been published. These are ⬖⡚ᆭჺ᪪ǯ
both porcelains with yellow grounds. One is a shallow dish (fig. 8) in the
collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Good Fortune, 㱈㘻ᜀ⸥⡠ӻ⊺㰍༵༰⎏㘆ַᄮᾭᇙㅳ଍⁒卿ַԢ
long Life, Health, and Peace: A Special Exhibition of Porcelains with Auspicious
ۣᝳՀ׾㇦ᙻⶬ㢙卿ݦ⩢ம㱈㿩஠厍Ӭ⩢ἃझ࢈ᘢ
Designs, Taipei, 1995, p. 160, no. 82. The other is a small cup, formerly in the
༈Ⅷ⻦᳍⏎卻ވ҈卼卿எ㇦Ƕ◙೰ᄮ༱厍म▼எᡪ
collection of the American heiress and philanthropist Barbara Hutton, which
rd
was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong on 3 November 1998, lot 960 (fig. 9). ≢଍⁞ཿǷ㮰 ⤔⽚ 卻झ࢈厍 卼厎ݯՀᛓ
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