Page 110 - Christies Alsdorf Collection Part 1 Sept 24 2020 NYC

崇聖御寶 - 詹姆斯及瑪麗蓮 ·阿爾斯多夫珍藏

interesting and most admired glazes – a copper glaze (discussed by Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes, London
known as (peach-bloom) in English and by a variety & Philadelphia, 1999, pp. 182-83). This allowed the
of names in Chinese, including pingguo hong (apple thickness of the copper-lime layer to be adjusted so
red), jiangdou hong (bean red), and meiren zui (drunken that some areas would be thicker than others. In those
beauty). The peach-bloom glaze was applied to a thicker areas there was additional flux, which thinned
limited number of relatively small vessel shapes, all of the upper glaze layer and allowed the copper to re-
which were intended for use on a scholar’s table. They oxidise and produce clear green. In the other areas, some
have traditionally been known as the ba da ma (Eight of the pigment was undissolved in the glaze making it
Great Numbers), comprised of four elegant vase forms, appear slightly opaque and yet smooth on the surface,
three water pots – including the so-called ‘beehive’ or while the majority of the copper did dissolve and
‘chicken coop’ shape - and a seal-paste box. The Alsdorf produced a rich pinkish-red, creating one of the most
collection not only has a Kangxi peach-bloom-glazed highly esteemed glazes from the Qing imperial kilns.
‘beehive’ water pot, but also a rare Kangxi white-glazed
water pot of the same shape. There are in fact four water As the eighteenth century progressed, new versions of
pot forms amongst the Kangxi peach-bloom shapes, the copper-red glaze were produced, which were quite
bringing the total number of forms to nine, rather than different from the earlier versions. This was a glaze
eight (discussed by John Ayers, ‘The Peachbloom Wares with more finely ground glaze components, more even
of the Kangxi Period (1662-1722)’, Transactions of the colouration, and narrower white band around the rim,
Oriental Ceramic Society, 1999-2000, vol. 64, pp. 31-50). and was probably fired to a slightly lower temperature
This may be significant, since, although the number than the Langyao pieces, and with a shorter firing time.
eight was traditionally regarded as lucky, the number Such fine eighteenth century copper-red pieces owe
nine is the imperial number, and it has been suggested some of the richness of their colouring to the tastes of
by some scholars that these peach-bloom vessels were the Yongzheng Emperor, who in the 8th month of 1729
made especially to be given as gifts from the Kangxi complained that the glaze on some recent copper-red
Emperor to favoured members of the court. The style of porcelains was too thin. The emperor sent five rim
the calligraphy used in the reign marks on peach-bloom sherds with thicker red glaze to the then supervisor of
vessels has led some scholars to suggest that the vessels the imperial kiln, Nian Xiyao (1671-1738), to provide a
should date to relatively early in the Kangxi reign – bench mark for future production. Such fine copper-red
1678-88 – but the sophistication of both glaze and form, porcelains of the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns can
as well as the discovery of one of the typical peach- be seen in a number of informal Qing court paintings,
bloom vase forms (decorated in underglaze copper red) indicating that they were prized for use and decoration
with the reign mark of the succeeding Yongzheng reign as well as for ritual.
amongst the Chinese porcelains in the Victoria and
While the famous pink enamel, which derived its
Albert Museum collections (see Ayers, op. cit., p. 41,
colour from colloidal gold, was introduced at the end
fig. 17), has led others to conclude that they are more
of the Kangxi reign, it is probable that the deep purplish
likely to have been produced in the latter years of the
pink used as a monochrome colour on relatively small
Kangxi reign.
porcelains, such as the Yongzheng bowl in the Aldsdorf
The peach-bloom glaze itself is of particular beauty Collection, was perfected in the Yongzheng reign
and technical complexity, and has been the focus of (1723-35) – along with a number of other vibrant
scientific research since the mid-twentieth century. colours – under the auspices of the most famous of
Both the overall soft pinkish-red of the glaze, and the all the supervisors of the Imperial kilns, Tang Ying
areas of clear green which appear to a greater or lesser (1682-1756). In the first year of the Yongzheng reign,
extent within it, owe their coloration to copper. Firing Tang Ying was appointed Vice-Director of the Imperial
in a reducing atmosphere creates the red colour, while Household Department at court before being sent to
re-oxidation creates the green. This was therefore a glaze Jingdezhen in 1726, initially working as assistant to Nian
which had to be applied very precisely and fired with Xiyao, but soon assuming overall responsibility for
great care. Research suggests that a copper-lime pigment production at the Imperial kilns. Tang Ying became a
was applied between two layers of colourless glaze. The knowledgeable ceramicist in his own right, and was also
copper-lime pigment was applied by blowing through a keen author. His surviving writings provide a
a bamboo tube with fine silk gauze over the end, to great deal of useful information about production at
achieve an effect similar to modern spraying techniques Jingdezhen. In 1735, the last year of the Yongzheng

108 PART I