Page 144 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art

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AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE SANCAI-GLAZED 唐 三彩鴛鴦壺

MANDARIN DUCK-FORM VESSEL 來源
埃斯肯納齊，倫敦，購於1999年
TANG DYNASTY (618-907) 藍理捷，紐約，購於2012年

The vessel is superbly modelled as a mandarin duck seated on a 展覽
spreading pedestal base, with a crest on the head and a curling 埃斯肯納齊，《Ancient Chinese bronzes and ceramics》，
feathery tail at the back. The plumage is meticulously detailed, the 紐約，1999年，圖錄圖版12號
wing feathers picked out in green, cream and amber glazes, the
rest of the body incised and covered with a rich amber glaze. The 此壺雕塑細膩精巧，生動有神，栩栩如生，誠為唐代三彩器中之精品。
interior of the vessel is applied with a light caramel-toned glaze. 三彩鴨形壺非常珍稀，存世品寥寥可數，而本器尤為精美，特別是頭上
The unglazed foot reveals the pale buff body. 鳥冠及舒卷的尾巴，寫實及巧妙地表現出鴛鴦的特徵。其實際用途至今
11 ¡ in. (29 cm.) long 未明，但其他已知例子均沒有配蓋。唐代流行鴨形香爐，不少唐詩均有
記載，例如晚唐詩人李商隱《促漏》一詩中就寫道「舞鸞鏡匣收殘黛，
HK$2,800,000-4,000,000 US$370,000-520,000 睡鴨香爐換夕熏」，故此本器有可能用作香爐。

PROVENANCE 本器造型非常罕見，有可能是孤品。有一件造型與本器稍相似的例子，
藏河南省博物館，著錄於《中國陶瓷全集 -7- 唐三彩》，京都，1983
Eskenazi Ltd., London, acquired in 1999 年，圖版84號（圖一），同樣定名為「三彩鴛鴦壺」，惟缺冠，頸部亦
J.J. Lally & Co., New York, acquired in 2012 較細長。另一例子為東京戶栗美術館舊藏，2015年9月15日於紐約蘇富
比拍賣，拍品259號。此壺上罩三彩藍斑釉，如上例一樣缺冠及頸部細
EXHIBITED 長，身體部分以鼓釘表達，與本器上的豐厚羽毛迴異。第三件例子的造
型與戶栗美術館一例較相近，藏於三藩市亞洲藝術博物館 （館藏編號
Eskenazi Ltd., Ancient Chinese bronzes and ceramics, New York, B60P1108）。最後一例造型較為不同，鴨子作回首狀，羽翼上印卷草
1999, catalogue no. 12 紋，與本器的寫實風格顯然不同，藏靜嘉堂文庫，著錄於朱裕平著1997
年台北出版《中國三彩》，圖版25-3號。
It is extremely rare to find sancai bird-form vessels of this type, with
only very few known extant examples. Among this very small group 此器經牛津熱釋光測年法檢測 （測試編號c111h24；2011年8月4日），
of related examples, the current piece is particularly detailed and 證實與本圖錄之定年符合。
elaborately modelled, highlighted by the exceptionally well-delineated
feather plumage, and the carefully glazed crest and curly tail which are
characteristic of mandarin ducks. While the exact function of this vessel
is unknown, it is notable that all the related examples do not bear
covers. It is known that bronze or gold duck-form censers existed in the
Tang dynasty, since they were mentioned in a number of poems written
by Tang-dynasty literati, such as the poem Cu Lou by Li Shangyin (813-
858) which contains the term ‘gold censer of a sleeping duck’. Hence it
is possible that the current vessel was used as an incense burner.

The current vessel has a very unusual form, and no other identical
example appears to have been published. One somewhat similar
example is a sancai duck-form censer from the Henan Museum,
illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji -7- Tang sancai, Kyoto, 1983, pl. 84
(fig. 1), in which it is catalogued as a ‘mandarin duck hu’. While the form
and rendition of the plumage of this piece is very similar to the current
vessel, it lacks the crest and has a longer and more slender neck.
Another related example is a sancai and blue-glazed duck-form vessel,
formerly in the Toguri Art Museum and sold at Sotheby’s New York,
15 September 2015, lot 259. This vessel is also modelled without a
crest and with a longer neck, while the larger part of the plumage
is rendered with bosses instead of incised feather as on the current
example. A third example which is similar to the Toguri piece is in
the collection of Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, The Avery
Brundage Collection, B60P1108. A fourth published duck-form sancai
vessel modelled with the head turned back, the wings moulded with
stylised scrolls instead of feathers, is from the Seikado Collection, and
illustrated in Zhu Yuping, Zhongguo sancai, Taipei, 1997, pl. 25-3.

The result of Oxford Authentication thermoluminescence test no.
C111h24 (11 July 2011) is consistent with the dating of this lot.

fig. 1 Collection of the Henan Provincial Museum
圖一 河南省博物館藏品

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