Page 26 - Taber Family Tianquiping Vase Christies Hong Kong May 2018

suspended by its apex and played using a mallet. During the Qing 因為「磬」音同「慶」，喻慶祝。「雙魚」通常是「八
dynasty sets of twelve such chiming stones were made of jade for 吉祥」元素之一，但自身也是祥瑞之物，象徵夫妻恩
the palace where they were suspended on racks and were played
on ceremonial occasions. Chiming stones are often included in 愛、多子多福。瓶頸的蝙蝠亦寓意吉祥，因為在中國
porcelain decoration because 磬 qing chiming stone is a rebus 藝術題材中，「蝠」代表「福」。此瓶的蝙蝠上下倒
for 慶 qing meaning to celebrate. The twin fish (雙魚shuang yu)
are usually included in the Eight Buddhist Emblems, but are also 垂，此乃刻意為之，因為「倒」諧「到」，故「蝠倒」
auspicious on their own, symbolising marital bliss, many children 暗指「福到」。暗八仙與懸磬的組合，可參考北京故
and abundant good luck. The bats on the neck of the vessel also
provide an auspicious wish, since in the Chinese arts bats (蝠 fu) 宮珍藏乾隆粉彩紫地瓶，圖見《故宮博物院藏文物珍
provide a rebus for happiness (福 fu). It is no accident that the 品全集 39：琺瑯彩、粉彩》頁 145 編號 127（香港：
bats on the vase are shown upside-down. The Chinese word for 1999）。上文提及的北京故宮藏乾隆鬥彩進寶圖瓶，
upside-down (倒 dao) has the same sound as the word for arrived
(到 dao). Therefore, an upside-down bat indicates the arrival of 便糅合了雙魚、磬與蝙蝠的元素。是次拍賣的天球瓶
happiness. The Eight Daoist Emblems combined with a suspended 做工一流、器型敦碩、端凝典雅，且紋飾精美吉祥，
qing chiming stone can be seen on a Qianlong ruby-ground famille
rose vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing (illustrated in Porcelains 最宜在清宮殿宇內陳列供放。
with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, The
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum vol. 39, 這件珍罕之作系出名門，泰貝家族柯禮夫人（Mrs.
Hong Kong, 1999, p. 145, no. 127. A combination of twin fish, qing Francis Keally）於 1960 年將之捐予奧克拉荷馬州塔爾
chiming stone and bats can be seen on the Qianlong doucai vase
in the Palace Museum with scenes of tribute bearers, mentioned 薩的費布克美術館（Philbrook Museum of Art）。費布
above. The exceptional quality, monumental size, and imposing 克美術館亞洲藝術珍藏中，最矚目的是一批江戶時期
presence of the current tianqiuping, as well as its fine and auspicious
decoration, would have rendered it suitable for prominent display （公元 1603 至 1868 年）日本繪畫，它們出自奧克拉
in one of the halls of the Qing palace. 荷馬州石油大亨普萊斯（Joe D. Price） 的心遠館舊藏。
This rare vase has a prestigious provenance, having been donated 另一批意義重大的東南亞陶瓷，是吉爾伯特家族的饋

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