Page 190 - Nov. 27, 2019 Christie's Important Works of Art HK

to employ white or colourless translucent vessels, for they transmitted light and ݯ༰卿᫈ൈទ㲞⻌Ꮢ⊇⎏⎊ⰰ卿᫉⽔⎏⸥ⱤԮ⯝
thereby symbolised the transmission of the Buddha’s radiance, that transcends דᘰቱቱ⏟㨸ǯཀᅏ⯝דᘰᇏம੧⊇⎊ⰰᎵὍⰰ
and transforms. White jade was popular, as was rock crystal and glass. Thin white ࢮ㘲ᚺ଍⁒卿୬ἃ㘲ݏ㘺Ӭ⁞㐏㎜ᇨדݏ᛿ᾅԠ
ceramic vessels also occurred among the possessions of Buddhists. For example, a ӴᇵಗḅᚺǮც὞㝢ነǯᘢ᫉卿⎊ℱۄई㘤ᒨ卿
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tomb dating to the early 12 century and associated with a Buddhist monastery, ᭢ᜆ⯝⅘∇Ք὞ǯ⎊ⰰ⺧⫭≢Ԯᛓ◶דԠ⁒卿ལ
and probably belonging to a high-ranking monk, was excavated in Liaoning. The ᛓज㌴㋭㚅༱Ӭᄠݩ݉ࢦՀӽ⡕ߝד㧰ऒತ⎏߅
walls of the tomb chamber were inlaid with fourteen Sanskrit texts in gold, while கᙔ⁒卿᫉ತ⎏Ԗ՞ᇈज⬒ᛓׅ֍ᥑ㵶⎏ۿؗǯ
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the burial yielded exquisite porcelain wares of Ding and qingbai ware. Both of
ತೀ㧏ࢦ୨❩㞖ໃᢹᙔ卿⩧㪪ⷀ৅ᝤᝳӬᏼ⠢⧻
these ceramics are white porcelain, one from the north of China and one from
໸⚨଍ক㬪⎊≢ǯ ݦ⩢மྏ⎊≢卿पᴹ⯇ⵖ࢈⯝
the south. Both can be fashioned with thin walls to transmit light, thus making
ⵖࢶǯ⩧ӻ卿ݦ⩢⎏⺧⫭Ԡהமज㘲ݏ卿ᘢजה
both types suitable for a Buddhist context.
◶דԠ⊇ǯ
It is possible that incense burners of this shape, with lotus stands surmounted by
paired ducks, were originally created in metal. Gold or silver vessels would have 㘺㯸⸥ᄠԠӳ㱈Ӭཌ㻅㻎⎏㲞⻌卿ݯᆨ߰Ꮅ⬴⫭
been easier to manufacture through shaping and beating, while bronze vessels ᙻ㞖ྏ଍ǯսㅳה႙⻱⩧㈲卿㞖㠤଍ज㢩ᔝᎰ௛卿
could be cast. To produce the shapes in ceramic was altogether more difficult. ⩧㬪㠩଍ߺजḇ㦪Ꮀ଍卿ᘢ㫙ᄟ㖅׆ǯ⏟ᆨԠӴ卿
Nevertheless, the most prestigious kilns of the Northern Song period attempted 㪃≢ה৅⎏໸ᆨ㇝㫙ᇑഅǯजᛓ卿࢈໬ल⚨࣐㘃
the task. Recent excavations at the Ru ware kiln sites have revealed a number of 㫙⩧ӳǯᮃ⚨㚃ந㘆ឆ⎏⩠ऒ⎉ᓒ卿؝߅கԻⲋ
stand bases moulded with lotus petals. (fig. 1) A whole lotus base from a censer in ჸ᧘ㅳ⸥ᄠ卻ॲː卼ǯݯԋӬ׾ἃ⡵⫭㲞⻌⎏໭
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biscuit, and a number of biscuit and glazed sherds, are illustrated by Ye Zhemin. ᙃ⸥ᄠ卿ԮᝳӬᏼ⡵⫭ࣿᓔ㞏⎏᫬‷卿எ㇦⶟੔
The glazed sherds demonstrate that the petals were carved in great detail, with a
ᭆ⏟㨸ⶬהǯ ᇖᓔ㞏Ԡה⏭׹卿⸥≓⎏ߴ႙ᡟം
line round the edge of the petal and a raised nipple in the centre. However, the
⡿⮏卿≓ᯒ⎐ࠧӬ㙣㖥ᅃ⤇卿᫈ԋ⣧ӬԱ㞜ǯዂ
petals form a solid shape, unlike the fragile, free-standing petals of the Ding ware
ݯ᱙㫌⸥≓ം㈊࣡㞒卿Ӷ۬ទ㲞⻌⎏⸥≓⯺ᤶᤶ
vessel.
࡚՞Ǯබฌ⩧⛁ǯ
Duck censers with lotus bases were also manufactured Yaozhou and at Jingdezhen,
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in qingbai porcelain. (fig. 2) Although intricate, the qingbai versions were made ⩝႔কᜀᇪ㤯மᝳ῟㙁㬪⎊㞏㻅㻎ᆨ⸥ᄠ㲞⻌ǯ
with the lotus petal bases fashioned in solid form, without the free-standing 卻ॲ̤卼㘺ᏼה৅㫍႙⢞⠢ႛ卿ֿݯ⸥ᄠ㙁௛࣡
artistry of the lotus petals on this Ding ware incense burner. 㞒卿Ӷ۬ទ㲞⻌⎏⸥≓⯺⅏≁⛁㵲ǯ
Where was such a complex piece of ceramic made? Ding ware was produced ൈᙱㅻ㫓⎏㪃≢ה৅卿♾⛋⊄ᙻ׍஠॰厒ᯇ࢈ಗ
at several sites in Hebei province. The ware derives its name from Dingxian, ݤ卿ᝳഅ⽔⚨ऑ῟㙁໸≢ǯ໸⚨Ӭ㊯ᴹᙻǸ໸
although in fact the kilns were not located there, but at Jianzicun Ḗ┵ឭ and ⥂ǹ卿ֿݯ⚨நݯ༰ׅᙻᝢ㪈⥂⎏Ḗ┵ឭকῡྒྷ
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Yanshancun ῡྒྷឭ in Quyang County ᝢ㪈⥂ . Quyang county was regulated ឭǯ ᝢ㪈⥂ங໬ջխྏ໸႔❖㖺卿ᘢᝳǸ໸≢ǹ
by Dingzhou prefecture during the Song period, hence the name “Ding ware” Ӭ㊯卿Ԯ㈛㞐Ի⚨ந㙁Ꮀ⎏㋭അ㊩㈛ǯ ჺ卿
and the confusion over its site location. It was a Japanese scholar, Fujio Koyama,
ᚚទໝ⩢ཎྒྷ༛೥ഏ㲛᪖ங㊃⚨நཿ㧷࡝༩ǯ⋁
who first investigated the kilns in 1941. The vast quantities of sherds and other
ᛞᓚ㫀⎏ഌᏼ᫬‷কݯձ᧐ទ卿⎐㏛ໄᙻᚚទ߅
material collected on that occasion were preserved at the Idemitsu Museum of
ݏ⧻ワ㱦Ǯ.0" ⧻ワ㱦ࣿᡜᰥ⧻ワ㱦卿ໝ⩢ལ᫉
Art, the MOA Museum and the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts in Japan, and have
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been studied in some depth. Further exploratory work was carried out by Chen Ԯ㙊リԻ⏟⋁᳅ݣ⎏Ⓔ♾ǯ ᛞ⯍ ჺջ卿㪀
ⶃ㞑⯝㲮ݎ㠺ݻ㑊⋁஠㙊リ⩠༩ǯ ⯍ ჺ
Wanli 㪀ⶃ㞑 and Feng Xianming 㲮ݎ㠺 in the 1950s. Excavation and survey
ឆ㧿卿႙ה՞৘㧷ං␖Ꮫ⎉ᓒ⯝࡝᳭䂈ഌ⎏ᅒ≢
of the vast waster heaps took place in 1961-2, and work has continued to refine
knowledge of the products and periodisation of the kilns since then. Material శ卿⩧㘺ᙹ㬷⎏႙ה⏖߿խஙӶᙷ࠼᳅Ꮁٛཌ໸

from Chinese excavations is kept in the Cultural Bureau at Quyang and in the ≢ࣿݯᙷջ⎏Ի㈛ǯ ԋஇᙹ㬷⎏⎉ᓒᎰ៧卿→
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Dingzhou City Museum. ⊐ᝢ㪈⥂ᙔ⁒཭ࣿ໸႔Ⴊࢷ⁒㱦ᘘ⻦ǯ
Ding wares were created from relatively non-plastic, white, porcellanous clays. The ໸⚨ᓚ⊇⎏ᛓ㖅㫙౯ᆨ⎏⎊ⰰ≢க卿Ԗ㇝սᐹே
predominant potting method was wheel-throwing, with either carved or moulded Ꮀ௛卿⡠㱈ἃࠧߴᎵ᧘ࣇ卿ࣇⱤԠהං㇦ᙻࢦӬ
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designs, the latter first employed in the mid 11 century and employing a single ӽ⡕ԋ⶟卿ᛓ⊇੷㵲ݤ᧘❧ࣇ⩧Ꮀǯទ㲞⻌⊐ⲋ
interior mould. The censer is a multi-piece item, its component parts made both
ჸᦔ։⢑Ꮀ卿Ԇ⢙भԻᐹே⯝᧘ㅳ႙⻱ǯ㲞⻌Ԗ
by throwing and moulding. The basic, inner vessel was thrown, while the base,
㵲ἃᐹேᎰ௛卿⩧ᄓᄠǮ⸥≓ࣿ⸌كἃ᧘ㅳ卿ᝬ
petals and lid were moulded, and component parts luted together to form the
ᇌ⊇ག᯵ཆप⢑։ᓞभᎰㅻ㫓⎏㙁௛ǯᄠຽݤᄓ
complex whole. The act of pressing clay into a mould is graphically illustrated
խᝳऱᇵ∪ₕᓎߛ⎏ཎႛᑨ⡠卿⋁ჺഓ༰᧘ݰݤ
by the underside of the base, which shows concentric rings of small finger prints.
㿱க⎏ካᜀ᫓᫓ൈ㇦ǯ᫉㯸㲞⻌ᥑ㫙໸௛ক῟㙁卿
The censer would have been enormously difficult to form and fire, which makes
⬒᱁۔⯍իᝤᛓ٘㰆Ⅷ㏟ǯ
its survival noteworthy.
One feature of the piece is the intricate moulded patterns present in the ទᐽ৅⎏⁞ⰰԠӬ卿ᛓݯᄓᄠ㧷ݏক㇡⸥≓ݤ⠢
cartouches and lotus petals of the base. Elaborate moulded surface designs were ⧻⎏ࣇⱤǯ㘺㯸⥝⤾⎏ࣇⱤᘤ៧卿ᛓங⚨῟Ԡ߿
produced by engraving leatherhard convex ceramic press-moulds before firing, ⊇ߴᝳஎᡪ⎏᧘ݰ卿ஙࢮԳே㵲ӳ೒߅ྉ᪖㎒༛Ǯ
giving rich and detailed surface ornament, similar to repoussé work on silver, or ႙⤤⡿⮏⎏㪈⤇⡠᧙卿⯝೒Ɽ㠤଍Ꮅ⥫㢶ᝳ⊿ᝢ
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