Page 28 - Christie's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works Of Art May 30 2022

2821 Continued

Although copper oxide was utilised to produce red decoration on high- 早於唐代，氧化銅已用作高溫陶瓷紅色紋飾的呈色劑，但自唐以降，陶工依
fired ceramics as early as the Tang dynasty, from that time onwards it 然視此為畏途。由於紋飾中的銅紅料極不穩定，所以無論是氧化銅的製備
provided a formidable challenge to the potter. The production of fine copper
red decoration was so sensitive that great care had to be taken with the 和密度，抑或是釉料成份、窯溫及還原程度，乃至於窯燒時擺放的位置，
preparation and density of copper oxide, the composition of the glaze, the 皆須一絲不苟。明永樂、宣德二朝曾出現質量上乘的釉裏紅御瓷，但因成功
temperature and degree of reduction in the firing, and the placement of the 率極低，曇花一現後便停產，直至康熙一朝才復燒，但銅紅發色效果仍然
vessels within the kiln. While copper-red decorated porcelains achieved 不穩定，時呈灰澀或暈散之態。本瓶線條優雅，上繪繁複螭龍紋飾，但發
remarkable quality during the Yongle and Xuande periods, their production 色鮮豔明麗，銅紅深淺有序，控制得當，顯然是難得的成功例子，難能可貴。
halted soon afterwards due to the great difficulty in successful firing, and
was not revived until the early Qing Kangxi period. Even then, firing to an 釉裡紅葫蘆瓶多為臥足，類似本拍品下承圈足者極少。
attractive red colour was not always stable, hence copper-red decorated 清代帝皇似乎對此類釉裏紅葫蘆瓶頗為鍾情，紫禁城養心殿隨安室至
pieces remained to be produced in small quantities during the Qing dynasty.
The current elegantly proportioned vase, painted with complex patterns 今仍擺放一對近乎一樣的葫蘆瓶，見《故宮經典：清宮生活圖典》，北京，
executed with great precision, and fired to a lovely strawberry-toned colour, 圖版175號（圖一）。倫敦佳士得於1975年7月28日曾拍賣另一相似例，拍品
is an exceptionally successful example among this rare group. 213號;劉鑾雄先生珍藏中亦有一件，曾出版於《香港蘇富比三十週年》，
香港，2003年，圖版294號。另可比較一件相似但較小例子，1990年5月15日
Vases of this type appear to have been greatly treasured by the Qing 於香港蘇富比拍賣，拍品193號。
emperors, as a pair of almost identical double-gourd vases are preserved in
the Suianshi (Chamber of Peace Regardless) inside Yangxindian (The Hall
of Mental Cultivation) in the Forbidden City, illustrated in situ in Classics
of Forbidden City-Life in the Forbidden City of Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2007,
pl. 175 (fig. 1). Another closely related piece was sold at Christie’s London,
28 July 1975, lot 213, and one in the collection of Mr. Joseph Lau, illustrated
in Sotheby’s Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, no. 294. A similar
piece but of smaller size and resting on a straight foot was sold at Sotheby’s
Hong Kong, 15 May 1990, lot 193.

fig.1 A pair of similar copper-red vases in the Hall of Mental Cultivation
圖一 養心殿陳設一對同類的釉里紅葫蘆尊

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