Page 35 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

如前所述，清代宮廷瓷器大致分為常規製
Design of a yellow-ground famille-rose ‘butterfly and shuangxi’ bowl, ink and color on paper, late Qing dynasty © The Palace Museum, Beijing
清末 黃地粉彩百蝶雙喜紋盌圖樣 設色紙本 © 故宮博物院，北京
位於江西省景德鎮的御窰在動亂初期亦遭
太平天國叛軍毀壞，御窰設施連同瓷匠消
失無蹤，所有工作擱置。1866年，清政府收
復中國南方，要求江西地方官員為咸豐葬
禮燒製瓷器時，江西知府只能召集當地瓷
匠拼凑成軍，甚至無法如期上奉瓷器。這
一耽誤，讓慈禧太后意識到恢復御窰的緊
迫性。1868年，她任命後來成為清朝著名
政治家兼外交家的李鴻章（1823-1901年）
主理此事。慈禧之所以急於修復御窰，最
重要的原因是要為年輕的同治皇帝（1861-
1875年在位）準備大婚慶典，這是清朝皇
室最重要的大事之一。慈禧直接參與御窰
修復，再加上之前的湛靜齋瓷器，都是她
在攝政期間燒製的特別瓷器，數量龐大
。參考八款瓷器，署款與慈禧的宮殿和十
年一次的隆重壽宴相關。此外，其子同治皇
帝和侄兒光緒皇帝的婚禮，也是由慈禧親
自安排。
66 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N11275
The distinction between regular production and the special commission
The imperial kiln, located in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, was destroyed
by the Taiping rebels early during the civil war. Gone were not only
facilities but also skillful potters; all regular productions were put on
hold. When the Qing government regained control of southern China and
demanded the local officials of Jiangxi to make porcelains for Xianfeng’s
funeral in 1866, the magistrate could only assemble existing local
potters to complete the imperial commission and delayed the shipment.
The delay made Cixi aware of the urgency of restoring the imperial kiln.
She appointed Li Hongzhang (1823-1901), who would later become
the renowned Qing politician and diplomat, to complete the mission in
1868. However, the most important reason why Cixi rushed to restore
the imperial kiln was to begin the wedding preparation for the young
Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861-1875), one of the most important events for
the Qing imperial family. Cixi’s direct engagement with the imperial kiln
restoration, together with the preceding example of Zhanjingzhai ware,
resulted in the abundance of her special porcelain orders throughout
her regency. There are eight types of wares whose inscriptions are
associated with Cixi’s palaces and decennial birthday celebrations, and
she was also in charge of the planning of the weddings of her son and
nephew, the Tongzhi and Guangxu emperors, respectively.
燒和特別燒製兩類，分辨兩者，是鑑賞晚 is critical for the connoisseurship of late Qing imperial porcelains. As
清宮廷瓷器的關鍵一環，前者數量雖多，但 mentioned above, although the former was large in quantity, their
器型、尺寸、紋飾均變化甚少，可參考Levy shape, size, and decorative motifs rarely changed, for example seen in a
收藏中一件清光緒黃地綠彩趕珠龍紋盌。 Guangxu mark and period yellow-glazed bowl from the Levy Collection.
18和19世紀期間，此類瓷碗燒製甚多，器 This design was regularly produced throughout the eighteenth and
型和紋飾或有細微變化，底部年款是最清 nineteenth centuries. While the shape and pattern might have minor
晰的斷代線索。而黃釉蓋簠是常規製燒、
不容隨意更改的御瓷。清代禮器器型規格 changes, the most obvious clue for dating is the reign mark on the
嚴謹，在《皇朝禮器圖式》有詳細記載，説 bottom. A yellow-glazed fu ritual vessel and cover stands for another
明黃釉器用於在地壇舉行的儀式，指定器 type of regular production that did not allow for any casual change.
形、紋飾及尺寸並附圖，這一款黃釉蓋簠亦 Ritual objects of the Qing dynasty had to adhere to rigorous forms,
有記錄。這些禮器必須遵照書中插圖，以 all documented in the Huangchao liqi tushi. The yellow-glazed vessels
確保儀式正確無誤。 were for the rites held at the Temple of Earth (ditan), and the shape,
decoration, and size of all the vessels are described and illustrated,
相比之下，特別燒製的瓷器因爲屬於個人 including the fu vessel in question. These sacred wares must be loyal to
專用，得以脫離標準規範，自由變化，署
款、器型及製作技術各不相同，可是仍然有 the illustration to ensure the authenticity of the rite.
大致趨勢可尋。晚清宮廷瓷器的首要特色
是用色大膽，藝匠根據乾隆年間的技術發 By contrast, special commissions were all about change and variation
展基礎，再創燒鮮藍、深紫藍等新穎色彩， since they were for the patron’s personal use. However, we can still
如見Levy收藏中藍地水仙花盆一對或見清 observe general trends despite differences in the inscription, shape, and
光緒紫地粉彩花鳥紋大盌，這一發展可能 production technique. The first and foremost characteristic of late Qing
與引進新的西洋琺琅配方有關，此時期尚 imperial porcelain is the prevalence of bold colors. While it was built on
有黃地黑釉等新釉色的出現。另一個創新 the foundation of the Qianlong period, new colors such as bright blue
之處則是繡球花、蘭花和蝴蝶等紋飾的出 and dark bluish purple emerged, as seen on a pair of bold blue-ground
現，這類圖案以前多見於背景紋飾，發展至 narcissus trays or a purple-ground ‘peony’ bowl, a development that
此時期開始出現於瓷面最當眼的位置。清 is possibly related to the introduction of new foreign enamel recipes.
光緒黃地粉彩百蝶紋三層蓋盒及黃地粉彩
百蝶雙喜紋雙勝形水仙花盆所飾彩蝶以及 New specimens, such as black paint against yellow background, also
清同治黃地粉彩墩蘭紋蓋碗都是這種風格 appeared during this time. Another area of novelty lies in new motifs
變化的作例。 such as hydrangea, orchid, and butterfly, which had been background
motifs prior and now occupy the most prominent place on the porcelain
surface. The colorful butterflies on a three-tiered box and a double-
lozenge narcissus tray, as well as the large orchid blossoms on a yellow-
ground bowl and cover are examples of this stylistic change.
LEVY 收藏慈禧太后珍瓷 CIXI’S PORCELAINS IN THE LEVY COLLECTION
Levy收藏涵蓋慈禧御瓷當中的多個類別，
珍罕難得。這個開創性的個人收藏展示了 The Levy Collection is one of the rare collections encompassing most
女性收藏家和女性統治者之間的微妙聯 kinds of porcelains Cixi commissioned. In other words, this pioneering
繫，收藏包含四組慈禧御瓷，以下介紹按 personal collection demonstrates an unusual womanly bond between
照慈禧下令製作的時序：第一組瓷器出自 a woman collector and a female ruler. The Levy Collection contains
為同治皇帝大婚慶典燒製的大批瓷器，二 four groups of Cixi’s porcelains. They are introduced below in the order
十九款紋飾又可細分為婚禮用、遺贈予未 of the commission period. The first group of porcelains belongs to the
來皇后、皇后及皇貴妃生活所用。宮廷於 vast number of wedding wares for the Tongzhi Emperor. The twenty-
1867年開始準備婚禮及瓷器製作，但第一
批成品質量遠遠未及慈禧太后的標準。慈 nine designs can be further divided into porcelains for the ceremony
禧失望之餘，旨令御窰重新燒製，並責令 and banquet, bequeathed porcelains for the future empress, and daily
地方官支付費用作為懲戒。直到1872年， utensils for the empress and the first consort. The preparation for the
wedding, including porcelains, began in 1867, but the quality of the first
御窰才交出令人滿意的製品。清同治黃地
shipment was well below Cixi’s standard. The disappointed empress
dowager demanded the imperial kiln to make the porcelains again and
even ordered the local magistrate to pay for the cost as his punishment.
It was not until 1872 did the imperial kiln submit satisfactory final works.
67