Page 37 - Sotheby's Fine Chinese Art NYC September 2023

Design of a ‘parrot and peach’ rectangular jardinière, ink and color on paper, late Qing dynasty © The Palace Museum, Beijing
清末 粉彩壽桃鸚鵡花盆圖樣 設色紙本 © 故宮博物院，北京

本收藏的慈禧御瓷，又以第二組最著名及 The second group of Cixi’s porcelain is the most famous and high- 大雅齋瓷器的紋飾有33種，Levy 收藏包括 drawing. The boneless technique the painter used distinguishes the
最出衆，底署「永慶長春」四字礬紅款，如 quality ware. They bear the four-character “yongqing changchun” 其中最少13種，多數是吉祥寓意的花卉紋 design of Dayazhai ware from other late Qing imperial porcelains, whose
見清光緒紫地粉彩花鳥紋大盌。尺寸較 (celebrating the eternal spring) inscription in overglazed red enamel 飾，此外也有具備晚清特色的新穎設計。 design drawings are missing the painterly quality. The yellow labels on
大的作例並署「大雅齋」款，並署「天地一 on the bottom, as reflected in a purple-ground famille-rose ‘peony’ 參考清光緒粉彩牽牛花紋水仙花盆(編號 the drawing list the shape and number of wares that should be made
家春」橢圓印，如見清光緒粉彩壽桃鸚鵡 bowl (lot 561). The large-sized works are inscribed with “dayazhai” 573)，牽牛花生長迅速，意寓家族興旺、繁 into this design, thus the examples from the Levy Collection.
圖四方花盆一對。大雅齋是慈禧的私人空 衍不息。清光緒黃地粉彩紫藤花鳥紋雙圓
間，源於1855年咸豐皇帝旨令懸掛的一塊 characters horizontally, coupled with an oval seal that reads “tiandi 連體亞腰水仙花盆(編號570)飾紫藤花，在 There are thirty-three designs for the Dayazhai ware. The Levy Collection
牌匾，是這組瓷器署款的來源。後者則是 yijiachun,” such as on a pair of famille-rose ‘parrot and peach’ jardinières 當時屬於新穎圖案，既可見於瓷器之上，也
慈禧在萬春園的宮殿名稱，萬春園是已故 (lot 551). Both red enamel inscriptions refer to Cixi’s personal space in 用於晚清宮廷衣飾。同樣，繡球花曾經是 assembles at least thirteen of them. They are mostly decorated with flora
皇帝后妃的宮殿，位於圓明園附近。天地 the inner court. The former originated from a tablet Xianfeng ordered 瓷器陪襯紋飾，卻是慈禧御瓷和服飾中最 motifs carrying auspicious symbolisms, and some are new decorations
一家春的建造是1863年同治皇帝旨令重修 and hung in 1855. It is how this group of porcelains is conventionally 得太后喜愛的紋飾之一。清光緒粉彩路路 characteristic of the late Qing period. For example, the morning glory on
圓明園工程的一部分，但在次年卻因朝廷 named. The latter is the name of the palace for Cixi in the Garden of 連科圖蓋盒(編號558)則描繪「路路連科」 a famille-rose oval narcissus tray (lot 573) is chosen for the rapid growth
腐敗、賄賂舞弊而計劃取消。適逢四十歲 Myriad Springs, an imperial precinct nearby the Garden of Perfect 的夏日景色，兼用圖案及文字表達吉祥寓 of the plant and, by extension, the family. A yellow-ground double-lobed
大壽的慈禧對天地一家春宮的設計非常關 Brightness that Qing emperors dedicated to retired consorts of 意，「鷺」與「蓮」與路和連諧音，寄事業順 narcissus bowl (lot 570) is decorated with elegant purple wisteria, a new
注。正是在這樣的背景下，慈禧太后為天地 境、科舉高中之願。故宮博物院亦收藏一件 motif that rose to prominence not only on porcelain but also in late Qing
一家春特製署有「大雅齋」款的瓷器。 the deceased emperors. Its construction was a part of the Tongzhi 相近作例。同治親政，慈禧退居幕後，路路
Emperor’s Garden of Perfect Brightness reconstruction project in 1863, 連科紋飾看似與其休閒的生活無甚關係， court fashion. Similarly, the hydrangea, a flower that used to be a minor
大雅齋瓷器色彩鮮艷，紋飾寓意吉祥，可 but it was canceled the next year amid bribery and corruption scandals. 但從一個母親的角度而言，這也許是寄托 motif on porcelain, became one of the most popular decorations on Cixi’s
推想到這些珍瓷頗得太后歡心。這批瓷器 Cixi gave the design of her Tiandi yijiachun palace full attention because 了皇兒治國得以大展拳脚的期望。此外，同 porcelains and attire. The ‘lotus and egret’ box (lot 558), on the other
製作之時，同治已經開始親政，慈禧太后專 its construction coincided with her fortieth birthday. It was against this 樣值得注意的是慈禧對花器的關注。大雅 hand, represents a pleasant summer scenery and a pictorial pun—a pair
心安排不再攝政之後的「退休」生活，首要 backdrop that she ordered the Dayazhai ware for her future residence. 齋瓷器的紋飾幾乎全都包括一兩款花瓶或 of egrets resting in a blooming lotus pond. The Chinese pronunciations
的準備工作就是為佈置新宮。她的指示一 花盆，這個特點也是晚清宮廷瓷器獨有。 of egret and lotus, lu and lian respectively, form the phrase lulu lianke,
如往常地嚴謹仔細，大雅齋瓷器的每一種 The cheerful, bright colors and the auspicious decorative motifs of the which means one’s smooth promotion in state examination or career.
紋飾都以圖為據，例如Levy收藏中的紫地 Dayazhai ware radiate the joy of its patroness. After all, Tongzhi had A comparable example is in the Palace Museum’s collection. For a retired
《大雅齋》瓷器都與原圖相符。大雅齋的
紋飾多以沒骨法畫成，與其他晚清宮廷瓷 begun personal rule and established his inner court at the time of this empress dowager, this decoration seems very unnecessary, but looking
器缺乏畫意的紋飾有所不同。插圖上的黃 commission. Cixi’s focus thus turned to her post-retirement life, and at it from a mother’s perspective might well indicate Cixi’s expectation
色標籤列明每款紋飾的器型及數量，Levy the first and foremost preparation was to decorate her new palace. Her for her son’s thriving rulership. Also noteworthy is the patroness’s
收藏的作例正是來自此組。 instructions were as meticulous as ever. Each design of the Dayazhai attention to flower vessels. Almost all the designs of the Dayazhai ware
ware is based on a drawing. For example, the purple-ground ‘Dayazhai’ contain one or two types of flower vases or planters, which is also a
porcelains in the Levy Collection are faithful renditions of the original unique characteristic of late Qing imperial porcelains.
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