Page 34 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

清代宮廷瓷器大致分為常規製作和特別燒
製兩類，前者屬宮廷御用，數量龐大，設計
標準，以清代《皇朝禮器圖式》、《國朝宮
史》所載式樣及描述為基礎，大批燒製相
近瓷器。如果說常規製燒的瓷器是為展示
大清國力鼎盛及社會穩定的話，那麼另一
種類型的瓷器則乃為達到特定目的而製。
宮廷會為壽宴及婚宴等盛會特別燒製瓷
器，有些瓷器則是專為帝后喜好而製，或用
於特定空間，最著名的是用於紫禁城和其
他宮廷重地、器身題宮殿名稱的瓷器。因
此，這些單次燒製、奉旨特別製作的瓷器，
風格或紋飾通常都與的旨令燒製者的喜好
相關。
宮中貴妃使用的瓷器按其等級而分配，每
人應得器物在《國朝宮史》内記錄明確。
瓷器方面，供皇后用的有黃釉盤二百二十
件，各色盤八十件，黃碟四十，各色碟五
十，黃盌一百，黃茶盞三百，各色茶盞七十
及四個渣斗。而次於皇后的皇貴妃，所得
瓷器則大爲減少，白裏黃瓷器只有盤、碟及
盌各四件、茶盞則僅兩只。其他各色瓷器則
包括十五瓷碟、五十瓷盌和二十茶盞。
儘管道光皇帝登位於晚清、宮廷瓷器生產
大幅縮減之際，但御窰的嚴謹規格基本上
仍然保留不變。道光帝喜愛瓷器，曾旨令御
匠為其宮殿製作瓷器珍品。趙聰月研究故
宮博物院宮廷瓷器，發現約七百件道光年
間瓷器，上署七十多個不同宮殿或廳堂名，
主要為餐具，立式器皿則較小型，風格屬晚
清宮廷器皿典型，釉上彩瓷比青花及單色
瓷較多，紋飾以瑞獸、花果和道教神仙等為
主。其中質量最好的瓷器當數圓明園慎德
堂、湛靜齋兩殿。
64 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275
Qing imperial porcelains are roughly divided into regular production and 慎德堂是道光帝的寢宮，為這座宮殿特製 The Shendetang palace was Daoguang’s residence; thus,
special order. The former is vast in quantity and standard in design since 瓷器符合清宮慣例。道光帝先後共有四位 commissioning porcelains for this palace was in line with Qing
they were for the use of the entire imperial household. As a result, the 皇后，孝全成皇后（1808-1840年）是最後 convention. The Zhanjingzhai porcelains are unique because the
same designs based on the pattern books and descriptions in the Qing 一位，深得道光寵愛，湛靜齋正是為她而 Zhanjingzhai palace was constructed for Daoguang’s beloved fourth
documents, such as The Illustrations of Imperial Ritual Paraphernalia 建，湛靜齋瓷亦因而非常獨特。1831年宮 and last empress, Xiaoquancheng (1808-1840). She gave birth to
(Huangchao liqi tushi) and History of the Qing Palace (Guochao gongshi), 殿建成三個月後，孝全成皇后誕下皇子，即 their son, the future Xianfeng emperor (r. 1850-1861), three months
would be repeatedly produced. If the regular production’s purpose 未來的咸豐皇帝（1850-1861年在位）。這 after the palace was completed in 1831. This group of porcelain that
組鮮黃、檸檬色釉暗刻龍紋瓷器，正是道
was to demonstrate the Qing Empire’s prosperity and the stability of 光帝贈予孝全成皇后的禮物。 有趣的是， contains bright yellow and lemon-color glazes and decorated with
the state, the other type of commission allowed room for the patron to 部份湛靜齋瓷器與慎德堂瓷器可配成一 incised dragons was no other than Daoguang’s gift to Xiaoquancheng.
assert their specific agenda. Special commissions were often placed 對。1833年，道光旨令特製數款瓷器，特別 Interestingly, the commission of some of the Zhanjingzhai porcelains
要求瓷器必須署有慎德堂和湛靜齋款。最
for events such as imperial birthdays and weddings. Some were made was paired with the Shendetang porcelains. Daoguang ordered several
值得留意的是，道光下令製作此批瓷器之
just for the patron’s pleasure or used in specific spaces, most notably kinds of porcelains in 1833 and specifically demanded that these
時湛靜齋主人尚未封后，僅為全貴妃，故其
porcelains inscribed with the title of palaces in the Forbidden City porcelains be inscribed Shendetang and Zhanjingzhai. Most noteworthy
器物不應包括黃釉瓷器。湛靜齋瓷器上的
and other imperial precincts. Consequently, these one-time, personal is that when the commission was placed, the occupant of Zhanjingzhai
黃釉龍紋盌有違《國朝宮史》所訂規格，可
commissions bear unique characteristics in style or decoration related 見道光對全貴妃寵愛之深。道光對孝全成 was still the second-rank imperial noble consort Quan, whose utensils
to the patron’s preference. 皇后這種不同尋常的眷顧，在多年之後，竟 should not have included yellow-glazed porcelains. The yellow-glazed
再成就了一場女權的革命性宣示。 bowl with an incised dragon pattern on the Zhanjingzhai porcelains
Porcelains for imperial consorts were provided according to their ranks. violates the principles documented in Guochao gongshi, which testifies
Guochao Gongshi clearly records what utensils they would receive. In to Daoguang’s special affection for this woman. Such unusual favor
terms of porcelains, the empress would be supplied with two hundred 晚清御窰的衰落與復興 Daoguang showered on Xiaoquan had an unexpected afterlife that
and twenty yellow-glazed plates, eighty plates of various colors, forty 道光皇帝也沒有預料到他對孝全成皇后 enabled a revolutionary expression of female agency.
yellow dishes, fifty dishes of various colors, one hundred yellow bowls, 的寵愛對後來的影響，更為下一位清宮藝
three hundred yellow teacups, seventy teacups of various colors, and 術支持者埋下伏筆。咸豐皇帝是由道光與 DESTRUCTION AND REVIVAL OF THE LATE QING
four spittoons. The number becomes much smaller for the second- 孝全所生的唯一皇子，咸豐的貴妃後來成 IMPERIAL KILN
ranked imperial noble consort. She could use white plates with yellow 爲慈禧太后，是晚清宮廷藝術最重要的女
glaze on the exterior, which included four plates, four dishes, four bowls, 性推動者，在道光朝之後繼續支持宮廷藝 The Daoguang Emperor would not have foreseen the impact of his special
and two teacups. Other porcelains of various colors included fifteen 術。1865年，慈禧與咸豐太后慈安封為太 favor for Empress Xiaoquan, which paved the way for the next powerful
plates, fifty bowls, and twenty teacups. 后。兩后開始聯合攝政，但慈禧是所有政 supporter of Qing court art. It was Empress Dowager Cixi, the consort of
治活動的策劃者。她自此掌握大權，直至 their son Xianfeng, who bore his only male heir, that took the baton from
1908年去世爲止，令她成為與大英帝國維 Daoguang and became the most important patroness of late Qing court
Although the production of imperial porcelains was significantly 多利亞女王（1837-1901年在位）並列、最
scaled back by the Daoguang Emperor, whose reign unveiled the late 有權勢的女性。1852年慈禧入宮時，清朝 art. Cixi was promoted to junior empress dowager along with Xianfeng’s
Qing period, the rigid principles and protocols for the imperial kiln 正值衰敗，當時朝廷仍未從十年前第一次 empress Ci’an in 1865. The two women began their joint regency, but Cixi
were largely intact. Daoguang was enthusiastic about commissioning 鴉片戰爭的慘敗中恢復元氣，再加上1850 was the mastermind behind all political acts. Her regency would last until
porcelains for his palaces in small numbers. Zhao Congyue’s study of 年太平天國之亂，時局動蕩不安，令本來繁 she died in 1908, making her the most powerful woman parallel to the
the imperial porcelains in the collection of the Palace Museum identifies 榮的南方受到嚴重破壞。太平天國的動亂 British Empire’s Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901). Cixi’s entrance into the inner
貫穿咸豐一朝，直到同治年間、1869年太平
roughly seven hundred porcelains inscribed with more than seventy court in 1852 was concurrent with the downfall of the Qing Empire. The
different names of palaces or halls made during the Daoguang period. 天國最後一個支部被剿滅方休。 empire was still recovering from the humiliating defeat of the First Opium
They are mainly tableware, and the standing vessels are usually smaller. War a decade prior when the largest civil uprising, the Taiping Rebellion,
Their stylistic features also highlight the characteristics of late Qing broke out in southern China in 1850 and rapidly evolved into a civil war
imperial ware. Overglazed enamel wares outnumber blue-and-white and that profoundly damaged China’s most prosperous South. The war lasted
monochrome porcelains, auspicious animals, flora, fruits, and Daoist throughout the entire Xianfeng reign and into the Tongzhi period. The last
immortals are popular decorative motifs. Among them, the wares of the branch was quelled in 1869.
highest quality belonged to two palaces in the Yuanmingyuan (Gardens
of Perfect Brightness): the Shendetang and the Zhanjingzhai palaces.
65