Page 103 - Sotheby's Sir Quo Wei Lei Collection Oct. 3, 2018

Proudly propagating himself as a great patron
乾隆皇帝提倡文化，自視為文人領袖，更慕古求
of scholarship and the arts, the Qianlong 新，鑑古思變以迎合其奢華品味。乾隆癡愛玉
Emperor unceasingly took inspiration from 器、好雅慕古、醉研書法，本品集其興趣於一
antiquity to suit his eclectic taste for grandeur 身，趣味盎然，為難得一見的文房臻絕之品。
and sumptuousness. This duck-form waterpot
of substantial size successfully combines the 寶鵝或鴨形洗，隱喻「羲之愛鵝」之佳話，尤盛
Qianlong Emperor’s passion for jade, infatuation 於十八世紀。乾隆帝鍾情「書聖」王羲之墨寶，
with archaism and enthusiasm in calligraphy 羲之一生愛鵝，其抄寫《道德經》換鵝之典故眾
into an opulent utilitarian vessel destined for the
scholar’s desk. 人皆曉。本品裝飾擬古，意仿高古青銅陶器，其
鴨形仿生靈活，曲脖微傾，倚傍其背，則擬唐宋
Goose or duck-form waterpots were popular in 玉飾。如此追古溯源，為乾隆藏古、好古之明
the 18th century, possibly due to their symbolic 證；蓋飾幼鴨，更顯代代相承之雅意。
association with the Qianlong Emperor’s
most admired calligrapher, Wang Xizhi. The 相類水盛雖有著錄，惟本品體型碩大，殊為難
essence of this duck-form waterpot probably
took its reference from archaic bronzes and 得。見一黃玉鴨形水盂，面額及嘴同呈方角並
pottery, however, its characteristic anatomic 綴回紋，雙翼飾仿古紋飾及翎毛，出自 Gerald
representation depicting the bird gently leaning Godfrey 舊藏，售於香港佳士得1995年10月30
backwards against its body may have been 日，編號834；尚有一例，尺寸略小，2014年
inspired by jades from the Tang and Song 4月8日售於香港蘇富比，編號3070。另見一乾
dynasties. These references to antecedent 隆白玉鳳形水盛，臥鳳形態與本品寶鴨極為相
sources boast the Emperor’s erudite knowledge 近，蓋飾龍鈕，曾展於《閣有天珍：中國文房玉
and sound awareness of the arts and culture 雕》，香港大學美術博物館，香港，2007年，
from preceding dynasties. Furthermore, the 編號59。
cover is cleverly worked in the form of a duckling;
the portrayal of a tender image of mother and
young is symbolic of a continuous succession of
knowledge.
Although waterpots modelled in comparable
forms exist, vessels created to such large scale
are rare. A closely related yellow jade waterpot of
this form from the Gerald Godfrey collection, with
the bird’s face similarly rendered with a facetted
beak and square scrolls, and wings decorated
with archaistic motifs and neat feathers, was
sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th October
1995, lot 834; a further example of similar form
but smaller in size, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong
Kong, 8th April 2014, lot 3070. Compare also a
Qianlong white jade waterdropper in the form
of a recumbent phoenix with homogeneous
features to the present lot, and a cover worked
in the form of a coiled dragon, included in the
exhibition Virtuous Treasures. Chinese Jades for
the Scholar’s Table, University Museum and Art
Gallery, Hong Kong, 2007, no. 59.