Page 174 - Christies IMportant Chinese Art Sept 26 2020 NYC

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN
1623
A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE SILK BROCADE
QIU XIANGSE 'DRAGON’ ROBE, LONGPAO
EARLY 18TH CENTURY
The supplemental weft-patterned satin is finely worked with nine
dragons clutching and chasing flaming pearls amidst stylized clouds
in shades of blue, red, green and ochre, all reserved on a ground of
greenish-yellow 'Autumn incense'-colored (qiu xiangse) silk, all above a
bold lishui stripe terminating in curled waves.
55º in. (140.3 cm.) long x 79Ω in. (201.9 cm.) wide
$100,000-150,000
PROVENANCE:
Robert Brandt, London.

清十八世紀初 秋香色地錦緞八團龍袍

The fabric of this dragon robe with its supplemental weft-patterned 這件緞地緯花的龍袍，堪稱十八世紀初清宮御製品中的珍罕
satin weave is a rare and an exceptional example of the early 18th 之作。根據其紋樣風格和黃中泛綠的面料看來，它應出自康
century production for the Qing imperial court. The style of the pattern 熙末年或雍正年間 (後者可能性較大)，是內務府特為宮中一
and the ground color (a slightly greenish-tinged yellow) suggests it was 名位份甚高的女性訂製的禮服。
commissioned by the Imperial Household Department for the wardrobe of a
high-ranking woman in the very late Kangxi or, more likely, in the Yongzheng
此袍的織造工藝無懈可擊，紋樣與衣物的剪裁亦配合得絲
period court.
絲入扣。至於龍紋與象徵天地萬物的江崖、祥雲和海水，其
設計亦反映了自十八世紀初以來的一些革新。觀乎清初的龍
The weaving is flawless; the patterning designed to the shape of the
garment. The drawing of the pattern with the dragons and elements of the 袍，前胸與後背的正龍均大於行龍，兩者主次有別，而本拍
visible universe (mountains, clouds and water) reveals several innovations 品上襟的正龍與下襟的行龍則大小相若。早期的襟緣僅飾
dating from the early 18th century. Both the front-facing dragons on the 海水波濤，但十七世紀末卻再創新猷，構圖中添加了立水，
upper body of the robe and the profile dragons of the lower parts of the robe 其上飾如意雲頭。時至十八世紀中葉，立水在下襬紋飾所佔
are drawn at the same scale—a shift from the earlier Qing convention, which 的比重日益增加，但就此袍而言，立水仍與傳統元素平分秋
gave prominence to the front-facing dragons at the chest and center back by
色，而這正是雍正時期的典型風格。袍身滿飾各式祥雲，其
increasing their size in comparison to the profile dragons. The inclusion of
內再用白描勾勒，式樣與清初較為刻板的三瓣或四瓣流雲紋
the li shui (standing water) supporting ruyi-head cloud heads is an innovation
迥然有別。這款新穎的雲紋，亦屬雍正年間的創新之一。
of the late 17th century added to the wave and billow border at garment
hems. While the li shui would come to dominate hem borders by the mid-
18th century, here they are balanced, typical of Yongzheng-period designs. 袍服的面料底色泛綠，這種特有的黃色又名「秋香色」。根
The variety of sinuous cloud forms with interior contour lines are a departure 據1694年頒佈的清宮冠服禮制，舉凡重大的典禮祭祀活動，
from the more rigid cloud forms with three- or four-lobed cloud heads 皇上、皇后及太后的禮服應採用飾三爪、五爪龍紋的黃色或
with streaming tails seen on early Qing designs. This convention is one of 秋香色緞料 …… 。」 此外，朝廷亦明令「至黃色、秋香色，
1
several new cloud concepts that appear on Yongzheng-period designs. The 自皇貴妃以下，概不許服」。 按照1724年清廷頒佈的新令，
2
greenish tinge of the ground color is to be read as the special shade of yellow
秋香色仍位列朝中文武禁用服色之一。
3
known as 'autumn incense color' (qiu xiangse). According to Qing court dress
regulations issued in 1694, for important ceremonies or sacrificial activities,
對照相關的清朝典制，使人不禁臆測，本拍品乃是專為烏拉
the dress of the emperor, empress and empress dowager should be made
那拉氏 (公元1681至1731年) 訂製的袍服。烏拉那拉氏於
4
of yellow or 'autumn incense'-colored damask, with patterns of three-claw
or five-claw dragons. The regulations further note that yellow or 'autumn 1681年與雍正 (時為皇太子胤禛) 成婚，後者即位後，她一直
1
incense' color are not allowed to be used for the robes of imperial noble 位居六宮之首。烏拉那拉氏於1723年獲冊立為皇后，1731年
consorts. The color is again included in a list of forbidden colors for the 病逝，身後追封孝敬憲皇后。自此至四年之後 (即1735年) 雍
2
dress of officials and military personnel as per a regulation issued in 1724. 3 正駕崩，皇后之位一直懸空。
In light of these regulations, it is tempting to suggest this fabric may have
就筆者所知，堪與本拍品媲美的十八世紀初緞地緯花女袍
been commissioned for the wardrobe of the Lady Ula Nara Duoqimuli
僅有二例。一者為故宮珍藏杏黃緞袍，其紋飾格局與是次拍
4
(1681-1731) , who married the future Yongzheng emperor in 1681 and upon
5
賣的龍袍如出一轍。 故宮龍袍雖有一紙籤，註明此乃乾隆
his accession in 1722 became his primary consort. In 1723, she was instated
三十二年 (即1767年) 納入清宮之物，但其斷代應是雍正 (公
as Empress. Upon her death in 1731, Duoqimuli was given the posthumous
172