Page 64 - Fine Chinese Art Christies London May 2018

Fig. 1 The Collection of National Palace Museum Fig. 2 The Collection of National Palace Museum
圖1 國立故宮博物院藏品 圖2 國立故宮博物院藏品

Craig Clunas has also pointed out that two famous Ming is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, and is
dynasty literati, Wang Qi (王錡 1433-99) and Wen Zhenheng illustrated in Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace,
(文震亨 1585–1645), like their Song dynasty predecessors, op. cit., pp. 182-3, no. 58. A Qianlong jade version with a
were wrong about many things, including the belief that proportionally larger vase and with the addition of wheels
bronzes inlaid with gold and silver dated to the Xia dynasty is in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in
(夏朝c. 2070-1600 BC), when in fact they should have been Through the Prism of the Past: Antiquarian Trends in Chinese
dated to the Warring States period (475–221 BC) or later Art of the 16th to 18th Century, op. cit. p. 192, no. III-61.
(see Clunas, Superfuous Things – Material Culture and
Several versions of this group with the addition of two
Social Status in Early Modern China, op. cit., p. 99). It is likely,
wheels were made in the late Ming and the Qing Qianlong
therefore, that when the current bird and vase group was
reign. A bronze bird of essentially similar form to the current
made, it was mistakenly regarded as copying inlaid bronzes
bird, but with a gu-type vase on its back, a pointed beak and
of the Xia dynasty.
the addition of wheels is in the collection of the National
A smaller Ming dynasty inlaid bronze version of the bird and Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Through the Prism
vase group with the addition of a handle to allow its use as of the Past: Antiquarian Trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to
a water dropper is in the collection of the National Palace 18th Century, op. cit., p. 174, No. III-42, where it is dated to
Museum, Taipei (illustrated in Through the Prism of the Past: the late Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century. A similar bird and
Antiquarian Trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to 18th Century, vase group with wheels is illustrated in the 西清古鑑 Xi Qing
Taipei, 2003, p. 49, no. I-24). It is interesting to note that an gujian (catalogue of some 1530 bronzes in the collection
inlaid bronze vase of similar style to the one on the back of of the Qing dynasty Qianlong Emperor, compiled between
the bird in the current group is also in the National Palace 1749 and 1755) see a page from the 1908 edition illustrated
Museum collection, illustrated in the same volume, p. 59, by R. Kerr in Later Chinese Bronzes, op. cit., p. 77, pl. 61. The
I-34. The Taipei vase has a lid and is dated to 10th-17th caption in the Xi Qing gujian dates the piece to the Han
century, Song-Ming period. Two more inlaid bronze bird dynasty.
and vase groups from the National Palace Museum, Taipei,
are illustrated in the same volume. One, dated to the Ming The current magnifcent bird is therefore not only
dynasty, which is very similar in form to the current group, auspicious, but it is also an important part of the history of
but has a vase of gu or zun form, is illustrated on page 175, archaism in the arts of China.
no. III-43 (fg. 1), the other, which has a handle attached to
the vase on its back and is dated 17th century, late Ming
dynasty, is illustrated on page 190, no. III-59 (fg. 2).

In the Qing dynasty, this form was not only popular in
bronze, but was also made in cloisonné enamel, porcelain
and jade. An 18th century cloisonné enamel version in
which the bird has a pointed beak and gu-shaped vase on
its back in the collection of the National Palace Museum,
Taipei is illustrated in Through the Prism of the Past:
Antiquarian Trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to 18th Century,
op. cit., p. 191, no. III-60. A Qianlong porcelain version of
the bird and vase group, with a glaze that imitates bronze
and even includes greenish splashes to suggest verdigris,

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