Page 14 - Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Christie's Hong Kong May 29, 2019

AN ABUNDANCE OF NOBLE SONS

Rosemary Scott
Senior International Academic Consultant Asian Art

This jar is painted in beautiful jewel-like cobalt blue with a scene that reflects 連生貴子：明嘉靖
one of the major preoccupations within all strata of society in traditional
China – the blessing of sons who will bring honour and prosperity to the 青花庭院嬰戲圖大罐
family. The popularity of children as a theme in Chinese art has two-fold
origins. One the one hand, it has roots in religious beliefs based in Buddhism, 蘇玫瑰
but also influenced by Daoism. Although not part of the Infinite Life Sutra 亞洲藝術部資深國際學術顧問
(Sukhavativyuha Sutra, which was translated many times into Chinese, possibly
rd
the first being the 3 century Da Amituofo jing 大阿彌陀經 ), in Chinese
Mahayanist Buddhism the re-born soul was believed to enter paradise as an
infant. This may have been partly due to the influence of the Shangqing
Daoist vision of the self in embryonic state. However, it appears to have been 此罐的青花翠藍濃艷，所繪場景反映了中國傳
the Chinese Buddhist monk and philosopher, Zhidun ( 支遁 AD 314-366) 統社會無論貴賤俱視為頭等大事的主題 —— 即
who first described the re-born soul entering the Western Paradise (Sukhavati, 子嗣昌盛、光耀門楣。以童子為題的中國藝術
the Western Pure Land of Amitabha) through the calyx of a lotus flower. 品長盛不衰，其源頭有二：一方面，這可歸結
於佛教信仰，而當中也摻雜了道家的影響。雖
On the other hand, the desire for children, especially sons, was a practical one 然《無量壽經》（梵文為 Sukhavativyuha Sutra，
– families needed sons, whether they were required to work the fields, to take 在諸多中譯本之中，年代最早的或許是公元三
up official posts, which would provide prosperity and security, or to provide 世紀的《大阿彌陀佛經》）未有提及，但中國
imperial successors. Thus, images of young boy children frequently appear in 大乘佛教認為人死之後皆以嬰兒之軀歸化，這
the Chinese arts, and rebuses were developed, which emphasised both the wish 可能是受到了道家上清一派「胚胎天地元神」
for many sons and grandsons, and the hope that those sons would be healthy, 論的影響。至於眾生於蓮華化生而進入阿彌陀
intelligent, honourable and successful. This aspect of the boys’ images also 佛西方淨土之說，應始於中國高僧和哲學家支
reflects the Confucian ideal of education, advancement in office, and filial piety. 遁（公元 314 至 366 年）。
Indeed, families also needed boys to carry out all manner of ancestral and
family ceremonies and rites.
另一方面，傳宗接代（尤其是男孫）的願望背
In the case of ceramics, one of the earliest painted images with this theme 後，其實也有實際的考慮：家家戶戶都需要兒
th
appears on a Tang dynasty 8 century ewer from the Changsha kilns, which 子種田耕地、入仕為官，以求光耀門庭、安居
is decorated with a young boy holding a lotus flower (Illustrated by William 樂業，在國家層面則可保障社稷傳承。故此，
Watson, Tang and Liao Ceramics, New York, 1984, fig. 95). The combination 童子乃習見的中國藝術題材，並衍生出各種祝
of a boy child and lotus is one of the most popular images, for it reflects the 願兒孫瓜瓞綿延、健康穎慧、光宗耀祖的吉祥
Buddhist belief in re-birth within a lotus, while simultaneously providing an 語。此外，童子題材的涵義也反映了儒家強調
auspicious rebus. One of the words for lotus in Chinese is lian 蓮 , which is 修身出仕、侍奉父母的觀念。而且一應祭祖和
a homophone for lian 連 meaning successive. The boy with the lotus thus 家庭儀式，均有賴家中男丁操持。
suggests the successive birth of male children. On the current jar this rebus
also appears since one of the little boys can be seen holding a lotus leaf over 以嬰戲題材入畫的陶瓷，最早的例子之一是
the head of one of his companions, who is riding a hobby-horse. 八世紀唐代長沙窯執壺，其器身繪一執蓮小
兒，圖見 William Watson 所著《Tang and Liao
In the Song period, the depiction of children on ceramics can be divided into Ceramics》圖 95（紐約：1984）。嬰蓮組合是
two types – those carved or moulded onto the body of a vessel, and those 最流行的題材之一，因為它既呼應了佛家蓮花
painted with a brush onto the surface of the body. Perhaps not surprisingly, 化生的說法，寓意也無比禎祥。而且「蓮」音
those carved into the clay body tend to be relatively static and are rarely 同「連」，故嬰蓮暗指「連生貴子」。本拍品
involved in any kind of activity. In contrast, those painted onto the surface of 也隱含這一祝願，因其罐身繪一小兒高舉荷葉，
the clay body are often depicted as full of life and playfulness – as indeed are 葉下是一名騎竹馬的同伴。

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