Page 16 - Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Christie's Hong Kong May 29, 2019

fig. 1 detail of the current jar
圖一 本罐上之細圖

blue and white Chenghua bowls decorated with boys at play (see Catalogue of 台北國立故宮亦珍藏若干成化青花嬰戲圖盌，
the Special Exhibition of Cheng-hua Porcelain Ware, Taipei, 2003, pp. 45-47, nos. 圖見《成化瓷器特展圖錄》頁 45-47 編號
19-21). There are even a small number of Chenghua cups decorated in doucai 19-21（台北：2003）。此外，該館藏品中更有
style with boys at play in a garden (see ibid. p. 149, no. 139). 一小批成化鬥彩庭園嬰戲盃，圖見前述著作頁
149 編號 139。
The most impressive larger vessels bearing underglaze blue depictions of boys at
play, sometimes called ‘the hundred boys’, are those, like the current jar, which 最讓人一見傾心的大型釉下青花嬰戲圖（或稱
date to the Jiajing period (1522-66) and are decorated in the finest cobalt. Not 「百子圖」）器物，當屬像本拍品這一類飾上
only does the greater size of the vessels provide the ceramic decorator with the 乘青料的嘉靖（公元 1522 至 1566 年）製品。
larger ‘canvas’, but the cobalt blue available at the imperial kilns in the Jiajing 除了器型較大，為畫瓷師提供了更具規模的「畫
reign was exceptionally vibrant and enhanced the decoration immeasurably. 布」之外，嘉靖年間御窯採用的青料色澤亦格
The Jiajing reign was one during which the emperor was a devout Daoist, 外明快，因此大大提升了紋飾的視覺效果。嘉
who became involved with alchemical Daoism. As his reign progressed, he 靖皇帝篤信道教，沉迷於煉丹修仙。在位時間
became obsessed with two things – immortality and imperial sons. According 越長，他越念念不忘兩件事，即長生不老和後
th
to the Ming Shi ( 明 史 History of the Ming), in the 11 year of the Jiaijing 繼有人。據《明史》記載，嘉靖十一年（公元
reign (AD 1532) the emperor commanded that a Daoist ritual be held in the
Imperial Garden with the specific purpose of praying for the birth of imperial 1532 年），皇上在御花園內舉行道教儀式，求
sons. Not surprisingly the emperor’s concerns were translated into designs on 的正是天賜子嗣。不難想像，既然上有所好，
imperial decorative arts, including porcelains, such as the current jar. 宮廷裝飾藝術定然亦步亦趨，本拍品這一類瓷
器於是應運而生。
The boy holding a lotus leaf over his companion’s head (fig. 1), as noted
above, suggests the successive birth of sons, and could also suggest ‘may my 如前所述，童子在同伴頭上高舉荷葉（圖一），
descendants live in harmony’ 子孫和合 zisun hehe, because another word 意味着「連生貴子」，而「蓮」即「荷」，「荷」
for lotus is he 荷 , which is a rebus for he 和 meaning harmony. There are 與「和」同音，故寄託了「子孫和合」的願望。
several other rebuses and wishes included in the design. Another of the boys 此外，圖中更隱藏了若干吉祥語和祝願。例如
on the jar carries an instrument called a sheng 笙 which provides a rebus for 罐身尚有一小兒執笙，「笙」音同「生」，所
giving birth sheng 生 and thus also provides a wish for sons. Interestingly, on 以暗指誕生。有趣的是，依本拍品所見，笙孔
this jar there appears to be a branch inserted into the pipes of the sheng. It is 插有一根枝條。若此乃桂枝，則「連生貴子」
possible that this is intended to represent osmanthus (guihua 桂花 ), in which 之意更是呼之欲出。另有一名小兒用繩在拉一
case these symbols combine to represent the phrase ‘continuous birth of noble 艘精緻考究的小船。「船」諧「傳」，故借指「傳
sons’ (liansheng guizi 連生貴子 ). Another of the boys on the jar is pulling an 位」或泛指「傳承」。寄望兒孫加官晉爵之心，
elaborate toy boat along with a length of string. In this case the boat, which 還可以從一小兒舉扇立於同伴身後看出端倪，

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