Page 69 - Christie's Hong Kong May 31, 2017 Important Chinese Ceramics and Art

3025 Continued 瓶直頸，斜肩下折，腹部內斂，足稍外撇。瓶身以青花紅彩描繪兩對戲
珠蒼龍穿梭於祥雲之間。青花發色純正，礬紅彩亮麗鮮明，兩者對比和
No other example of the same shape and iron-red decorated motif as 諧，賞心悅目。
the present vase appears to have been published although the shape
of this vase is closely related to a group of bottle vases which are 甘露瓶為藏傳佛教之法器，為盛放甘露，即吉祥聖水的器皿。瓶中亦可
most certainly developed from a metal prototype. Often referred to 插藏草以灑甘露，故又稱藏草瓶。以青花搭配紅彩之工藝始應於明宣德
as ganluping or jingshuiping, ‘nectar’ bottle or ‘pure water’ bottle, this 時期，明代後期亦有出現，但在清代御瓷中仍屬十分珍稀之品種，究其
group is particularly associated with the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara 原因，應是製作成本偏高之故。青花紅彩需要先以高溫燒成釉下青花，
(Guanyin). A few iron-red decorated porcelain examples of this type 後加以礬紅彩繪，再重新入窯低溫二次燒成，燒製工序繁瑣，耗資不
were made during the Qianlong period as court gifts to Tibetan 菲，成功率低。
monks, such as the one in the collection of the Nanjing Museum,
illustrated by Xu Huping in Treasures in the Royalty: The Official 雍正青花紅彩龍紋器以盤﹑及小件器如盌﹑碟為主，較大尺寸之器物至
Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 225, 乾隆朝乃較多見。雖然雍正一朝仍有較大陳設器之例可循，但本瓶別出
and a pair in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 新裁的造型，以及獨道的裝飾技法，例如以青花勾勒蒼龍，以渲染手法
illustrated in Monarchy and Its Buddhist Way: Tibetan-Buddhist Ritual 隨意點綴祥雲等，顯得本瓶更加彌足珍貴。可比較北京故宮博物院藏一
Implements in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1999, p. 184, no. 91. 件清雍正青花紅彩九龍閙海紋天球瓶，載於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全
集-青花釉裏紅（下）》，香港，2010年，頁244，圖版222號。
The combination of underglaze-blue and overglaze iron-red decoration
was first developed in Xuande period of Ming dynasty. Though it had
a revival in later Ming period as well as in Qing dynasty, it remained
a rare colour scheme probably due to the high cost and technical
difficulties associated with producing such wares. The blue decoration,
such as the scrolling clouds as well as the outline of dragons on this
vase, was executed in underglaze cobalt blue first, then fired at high
temperature. Following this procedure, the artist would apply other
decorations, seen on this vase as two pairs of leaping dragons, in iron-
red enamel over the glaze, and fired the vessel for the second time at a
lower temperature. The laborious twice-firing process would certainly
increase the cost and the rate of unsuccessful firing.

Most of the known examples decorated in underglaze blue and
overglaze iron red from the Yongzheng period are chargers, or smaller
objects such as dishes and bowls. While larger example can be found,
the unusual shape as well as decorative techniques such as outlining
the dragon in underglaze blue, and freely highlighting the cloud scrolls
with blue wash, makes the present vase extremely rare.

Compare, a blue and white globular vase decorated with dragons
decorated in iron red in the Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, and
illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red(III), The
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong,
2010, p. 244, no. 222.

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