Page 68 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

The present vase belongs to a group of 18th century wares that 在十八世紀，清代宮廷常模仿明代製品，本青花器便是一例。瓶腹所
imitate the decorative styles of Ming dynasty ceramics. The boldly 繪佛手、桃及石榴花果折枝，紋飾靈感來自於明永樂及宣德青花花果
painted elegant designs of fruit and flower sprays around the body are 折枝紋梅瓶上，體現了乾隆帝慕古好雅的情懷，也逐漸具體化滿族漢
inspired by meiping vases from the Yongle and Xuande reigns. These 化的概念。有關明代的青花例子,請參考耿寶昌著，《故宮博物館藏：
early Ming vases depict alternating leafy fruit and flower sprays in two 明初青花瓷》，北京，2002年，編號15及76。
higher and lower registers. The Palace Museum, Beijing, includes both
a Yongle and Xuande period example, each with various fruit sprays 此瓶富有吉祥的蘊意，瓶身所飾佛手、桃和石榴紋飾的組合稱為「三
around the body, illustrated by Geng Baochang, Gugong Bowuyuan 多圖」，取諧音「福壽三多」，寓意多子、多福、多壽。當「三多
cang: Ming chu qinghua ci, Beijing, 2002, nos.15 and 76. The 18th 圖」與九只如意結合在一起，寓意「三多九如」。「九如」出自
century demand for ‘Ming-style’ wares as the present lot, reflected 《詩經·小雅·天保》，該詩中連用了九個「如」字：「九如為如山，
the reverence and importance which the Qianlong emperor held for 如阜，如陵，如崗，如川之方至，如月之恆，如日之升，如松柏之
antiquity. By sinicising himself through aligning with the culture and art 茂，如南山之壽」，因每句都有「如」字，故稱「九如」，祝頌福壽
of the bygone era of early Ming Chinese rule, the Manchu emperor also 綿長。
legitimised his own.
國立故宮博物院藏一件非常相似的例子，參考《故宮藏瓷：清青花
This vase not only demonstrates the importance placed on antiquity, 瓷二》，香港，1968年，頁30至31，圖版5；另一例子藏於上海博
but also provides a wealth of auspicious wishes and blessings. The 物館，查閱《Imperial Porcelain from the Shanghai Museum》，茲沃
Three Abundances, which include finger citron, foshou 佛手, peach, 勒，2011年，頁80至81，編號52；再參考南京博物院藏一例，著錄
tao 桃 and pomegranate, shiliu 石榴, form the auspicious pun fushou 於《中國清代官窯瓷器》，上海，2003年，頁210至211。
sanduo 福壽三多, which literally translates as ‘May you be granted the
three abundances of blessings, long life and sons’. When depicted 其他相似例子可參考私人收藏藏品，包括天民樓和望星樓，見《天民
together with ruyi symbols, such as on the current lot, the Three 樓藏瓷：下冊》，香港，1987年，頁88至89，編號61；和《清代康
Abundances, sanduo 三多, and the wish granting sceptre heads ruyi 雍乾官窯瓷器：望星樓藏瓷》，香港，2004年，頁60-61，編號16。
如意, form an added auspicious blessing of ‘May you also be blessed
with the Nine Similitudes’, sanduo jiuru 三多九如. The Nine Similitudes
are a felicitous wish mentioned in the Book of Odes, which is the
earliest compilation of Chinese poetry dating to the Western Zhou
dynasty. The wish may be literally translated as follows:

‘May you be as the mountains and the hills, as the greater and the
lesser heights, as the streams which flow in all directions, having
constancy of the moon, like the rising sun, with the longevity of the
Southern Mountain and the green luxuriance of the pine and cypress
tress’.

See a very similar vase illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace
Museum. Blue and White Ware of the Ch’ing Dynasty. Book II, Hong
Kong, 1968, pp.30-31, pl.5; another example is illustrated in Imperial
Porcelain from the Shanghai Museum, Zwolle, 2011, pp.80-81, no.52;
compare also another similar example from the Nanjing Museum,
illustrated in Treasures in the Royalty. The Official Kiln Porcelain of the
Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pp.210-211.

For other similar examples in important private collections, see Chinese
Porcelain. The S.C.Ko Tianminlou Collection. Part II, Hong Kong,
1987, pp.88-89, no.61; and Imperial Perfection. The Palace Porcelain
of Three Chinese Emperors. A Selection from the Wang Xing Lou
Collection, Hong Kong, 2004, pp.60-61, no.16.

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