Page 45 - Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, Sept. 21-22, 2-21, NYC

A JIA FROM THE KONG (CONFUCIUS) FAMILY COLLECTION

孔門後人珍藏青銅斝

REGINA KRAHL
康蕊君

The masterfully proportioned and richly decorated jia in 本斝比例勻稱，紋飾精美，饕餮紋細緻繁複，屬殷墟
the MacLean Collection with its complex, finely detailed 青銅之珍器。商朝於公元前1300年左右遷都至殷，此
taotie design is a classic wine vessel of the first half of the 後青銅工藝進入前所未見的繁榮時期。殷墟青銅器風
Anyang period. After the Shang had settled in Anyang in
Henan around 1300 BC, the bronze craft experienced an 格獨特，發展成熟，成就卓絕，可謂為中國古代青銅
unprecedented flowering. The impressive, mature Anyang 藝術之代表。斝的器身亦於此時期發展演變出了優雅
style is so distinct that it became practically synonymous 的S形線條。
with China’s archaic bronze art. It was in this period that the
jia vessel shape gained its harmonious rounded S-shaped 觀本器，整體大氣莊嚴，雄偉不凡。尤其值得一提的
profile.
是斝身饕餮紋飾中間的扉棱，透空作鉤齒狀，頗具匠
On the present piece, the waisted finials on the two 心，將饕餮紋飾左右分隔，設計別緻，更耗工費神，
rectangular posts rising from the rim, are particularly 十分鮮見。
prominent, giving the vessel a majestic presence. Especially
noteworthy are also the delicate serrulated flanges centering
and separating the taotie motifs, an unusually luxurious 本斝的器形與紋飾皆與著名的母亞斝（圖一）尤為相
treatment of this common bronze feature, which would have 似。母亞斝尺寸稍大，饕餮紋中心飾素扉棱，1959年
required quite a bit of additional attention and effort. It is a 安陽出土，現存於河南省博物館，文獻記載甚廣，
playful, dainty element that both emphasizes and breaks 曾數次借展歐洲的多個早期考古發現展覽，如1973
up the sharp outline of the vessel by adding a frilly edge,
thus offering a delightful marginal annotation to the solemn 年於倫敦、1973年於巴黎、1980年於蘇黎世、1981年
grandeur of the vessel shape. 於柏林及其他德國城市、1982年於布魯塞爾等；參
見彭卿雲編，《中國文物精華大辭典：青銅卷》，
Very similar in its basic form and design is the famous
Mu Ya jia (fig. 1), which is somewhat larger, but has only 上海，1995年，編號0185以及 Helmut Brinker 及郭樂
plain raised ridges in the center of its masks instead of 知，《Kunstschätze aus China. 5,000 v. Chr. bis 900
flanges. That vessel, which was excavated in 1959 in Anyang n.Chr.: Neuere Archaeologische Funde aus der Volksrepublik
itself and is preserved in the Henan Provincial Museum, China》，蘇黎世美術館，1980年，編號8，其中（頁
Zhengzhou, features in many publications, and formed
part of many of the early archaeological exhibitions sent 67）論及該器品質卓絕，綠色包漿細膩猶如瓜皮。
by the People’s Republic of China to Europe, for example,
to London 1973, Paris 1973, Zurich 1980, Berlin and other
German cities 1981, and Brussels 1982; see Peng Qingyun,
ed., Zhongguo wenwu jinghua da cidian: Qingtong juan
[Encyclopaedia of masterpieces of Chinese cultural relics:
Bronze volume], Shanghai, 1995, no. 0185; and Helmut
Brinker & Roger Goepper, Kunstschätze aus China. 5,000 v.
Chr. bis 900 n.Chr.: Neuere Archaeologische Funde aus der
Volksrepublik China, Kunsthaus Zurich, 1980, no. 8, where
(p. 67) its high quality is remarked upon, and its fine green
patina, which appears to be rather similar to that of the
present vessel, is described as ‘melon skin’ patina.

40 SOTHEBY’S COMPLETE CATALOGUING AVAILABLE AT SOTHEBYS.COM/N10748 IMPORTANT ARCHAIC BRONZES FROM THE MACLEAN COLLECTION 41