Page 23 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Fine Chinese Works of Art

Lot 2964 Lot 2970 Lot 2926 Lot 2912
拍品2964號 拍品2970號 拍品2926號 拍品2912號
Sir Michael was especially interested in collecting inscribed porcelains In addition to several pieces bearing decoration in the famous, and
– both those withinscriptions which provided specific dates, or those much published, ‘Master of the Rocks’ style, known in Chinese as pima
derived from literature. One example of the former type in the current cun shanshui (lot 2964), the current sale also includes a magnificent
sale is the beautifully-painted small censer (lot 2953), which depicts large Kangxi vase decorated in underglaze copper red (lot 2970),
the Eight Daoist Immortals and is inscribed with a date: Kangxi bingzi which has the highly auspicious decoration of nine dragons. Eight of
nian Wang Yiren zhi, which may be translated as ‘Commissioned by these sinuous dragons appear in pairs confronting each other on the
Wang Yiren in the bingzi year of Kangxi [1696]’. This censer has been sides of the vase, while a ninth dragon is depicted on the neck in pursuit
in several exhibitions, including as exhibit no. 111 in the ground- of a flaming pearl. It is said that nine dragons guard the Gate of Heaven
breaking exhibition Seventeenth Century Jingdezhen Porcelain from the and symbolize the yang. At first sight, this vase appears to have been
Shanghai Museum and the Butler Collection – Beauty’s Enchantment, which decorated solely in well-applied underglaze copper red, but, typically
was the brain-child of Sir Michael and the eminent Chinese scholar for the Kangxi reign, the eyes of the dragons are depicted in underglaze
and vice-director of the Shanghai Museum, the late Wang Qingzheng cobalt blue.
(1931-2005).
In complete contrast, this sale also includes interesting groups late
A classic example of a literary inscription on porcelain from the Kangxi Ming dynasty of blue and white porcelains, known as ko-sometsuke
reign (1662-1722) can be seen on the square-section vase in the current (for example lot 2926), and also those decorated in overglaze enamels,
sale (lot 2968). The sides of this vase are decorated with scenes from, known as ko-akae (for example lot 2912), which were made specifically
and the text of the famous poem Ode to the Red Cliff by the Song for Japanese tea connoisseurs, who held them in the highest esteem.
dynasty literatus Su Shi (1037–1101, also known as Su Dongpo). The These porcelains have recently come to greater prominence since they
poem describes a trip that Su Shi made with some friends in 1082 to were the focus of an exhibition entitled Trade Taste & Transformation
visit the Red Cliff, which had been the location for an epic naval battle – Jingdezhen Porcelain for Japan, 1620-1645, held at the China Institute,
at the end of the Han dynasty in the winter of AD 208. New York in 2006, to which Sir Michael Butler loaned a number
of pieces.

巴特勒爵士偏愛蒐集帶款識的瓷器，具年代款和題經典詩文 精選藏品中也有一些繪披麻皴山水圖(拍品2964號)的例子，
者均屬此列。證諸本季精選藏品，前者有畫工一流的小巧五 這一表現手法源遠流長且論述頗豐；除此之外，拍品中的康
彩八仙圖香爐(拍品2953號)，其器身署紀年款「康熙丙子年[ 熙釉裏紅九龍紋大尊(拍品2970號) 亦恢宏大氣，其九龍題材
即公元1696年]汪以仁置」。這一香爐曾多次展出，包括重量 禎祥之至。器身九龍虯曲盤旋，其中八者為左右相向的雙龍，
級展覽《上海博物館與英國巴特勒家族所藏十七世紀景德 器頸一龍作戲珠狀。相傳看守天門的正是九龍，而龍本身象
鎮瓷器》(展品編號111)，該活動凝聚了巴特勒爵士與已故著 徵陽氣。乍眼看來，此尊似乎通體僅繪釉裏紅紋飾，惟細察
名學者暨上海博物館副館長汪慶正(1931至2005年)的心血 之下，便會發現龍的雙目是用釉下鈷藍點畫而成，具鮮明的
和努力。 康熙時代特徵。

本季呈獻的康熙 (公元1662至1722年) 青花「赤壁賦」方瓶 相較之下，是次秋拍尚有一組大異其趣的明末青花瓷 (即日
(拍品2968號)，正是題有詩文的經典之作。此瓶外壁飾以宋 本「古染付」，如拍品2926號)，以及若干釉上琺瑯彩作品(即
代文人蘇軾(又名蘇東坡，公元1037至1101年)的名篇《赤壁 「古赤繪」，如拍品2912號)，其燒造對象是奉之為圭臬的日
賦》全文及相關的場景。賦中描述的是蘇軾於1082年與友 本茶人。2006年，紐約華美協進社曾舉行《Trade Taste &
人同遊赤壁之經過，公元208年冬，漢代大規模水上戰役「 Transformation – Jingdezhen Porcelain for Japan,
赤壁之戰」便是在此上演。 1620-1645》，其重點推介的便是這類瓷器，巴特勒爵士外
借藏品亦躋身其列，近年來此類作品名聲漸隆，是次展覽可
謂居功至偉。

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