Page 22 - Taber Family Tianquiping Vase Christies Hong Kong May 2018

fig. 3 A doucai vase depicting tribute bearers, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795)
Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖三 清乾隆 鬥彩進寶圖雙螭耳瓶
北京故宮博物院藏品

It seems likely that the current vase was made at the imperial 南京博物院珍藏乾隆御製青花釉裏紅、釉下青花和藍
kilns early in the Qianlong reign. There are several aspects of
the decoration that suggest this dating. Perhaps most telling 釉天球瓶各一例，第三例器型比本拍品略大，圖見
is the delicacy and use of colour seen in the doucai decoration, 《清瓷萃珍：清代康雍乾官窯瓷器》編號 80、77 及 66（南
which is akin to that of the Yongzheng reign. The underglaze
blue outlines are both paler and narrower than those found on 京：1995）。
the majority of Qianlong doucai vessels, while the blue washes
are softer in appearance. The overglaze enamel colours are also 本拍品可能出自乾隆初年的御窯，因為器身紋飾的若
applied with considerable restraint – highlighting certain aspects
of the design without producing an overall gaudiness. The use 干特徵，俱與當時的作品不謀而合。最明顯的莫如鬥
of colours on the current vase may perhaps be compared with 彩紋飾之細膩和設色，其水平之高足以媲美雍正瓷器。
that of the Yongzheng doucai meiping in the collection of the Palace
Museum, Beijing, which is illustrated in Porcelains in Polychrome and 它的釉下青花輪廓線，比大多數的乾隆鬥彩器較淡且
Contrasting Colours, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the 細，青花暈染也更柔和。此外，釉上琺瑯彩的用色亦
Palace Museum, vol. 38, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 245, no. 225. (fig.
4) There are also small details, such as the style of the petal band 極具功力，既能烘托部份構圖元素，但整體畫面仍清
which encircles the foot of the current vase. This is relatively rare 新脫俗。此瓶的設色堪與北京故宮珍藏雍正鬥彩梅瓶
in the Qianlong reign, but can be found more often on Yongzheng
porcelains, such as the enamelled bowl illustrated in Porcelains in 作一比較，圖見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集 38：五
Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, op. cit., p. 171, no. 157. 彩、鬥彩》頁 245 編號 225（香港：1999）（圖四）。

An early Qianlong date is also suggested by the seal-script reign 本拍品的斷代尚可求證於若干細節，如環飾脛足的瓣
mark in underglaze blue on the base of the vase. Professor Peter 紋風格便是一例。此類紋飾在乾隆時期較罕，但在雍
Lam has conducted detailed research into the form of reign marks
during the Qianlong reign, and the reign mark on the current 正瓷器中卻時可得見，就此可參見前述著作《故宮博
vase accords most closely with the style that he denotes ‘type 5’. 物院藏文物珍品全集 38：五彩、鬥彩》頁 171 編號
(see Peter Y.K. Lam, ‘Towards a Dating Framework for Qianlong
Imperial Porcelain’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 157 所示的琺瑯彩瓷盌。

18