Page 228 - Christie's, NYC Important Chinese Works Of Art Sept. 22-23, 2022

A Rare Yuan Dynasty Longquan

‘Eight Immortals’ Meiping

元代 龍泉窯青釉露胎開光八仙紋梅瓶

By Rosemary Scott
Independent scholar
Visiting ceramics research fellow,
Palace Museum, Beijing

蘇玫瑰
獨立學者暨故宮陶瓷研究所客座研究員

The current vase with its distinctive octagonal shape and moulded panels sprig-moulded elements, such as dragons, were laid on the surface of the
belongs to a rare and important group of Longquan celadon-glazed unfired glaze before the piece entered the kiln. However, this technique
meiping vases with facetted sides and crisply-moulded decoration. While was only suitable for horizontal surfaces, and for the vertical sides of vases,
the moulding on such vessel is usually of good quality, that on the present such as the current vase, stem cups or jars – like the wine jar in the Brooklyn
meiping is especially fine, with all the relief details sharply defined. Longquan Museum, which is decorated with the Eight Immortals crossing the sea (Acc.
celadons were at a peak of popularity in the 12th-14th century, and were No. 52.49.33) (Fig.1) - the designs were moulded into the fabric of the vessel.
prized by both Chinese and Japanese connoisseurs, as well as in several The area to be left unglazed was covered with wax, so that glaze would not
other overseas markets. The glazes on the finest examples, like that on the adhere when glaze was applied to the rest of the vessel. The wax burned off
current vase, were admired for their rich soft green translucence and jade- during firing. Careful examination of the reddish unglazed decorative areas
like texture. of such Longquan wares often reveals tiny traces of gilding, which had been
applied after firing, but proved fugitive over time.
A decorative technique, in which parts of the decoration were left unglazed
to provide a contrast with the green glaze, came to prominence on high- Facetted shapes were rare amongst the ceramics of the Song (960-1279)
quality wares made at the Longquan kilns in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties. However, although facetted vases are rare
Due to very small amounts of iron oxide in the body material, when the amongst Longquan celadons, other facetted forms appeared with greater
wares were fired and oxygen was allowed back into the kiln, the surface of frequency on both Longquan wares and blue and white porcelains in the
the unglazed areas turned a reddish brown – as on the current meiping. In Yuan period. This popularity of facetted forms may be seen either as a
some instances – for example on the interior base of large dishes – unglazed reflection of a contemporary interest in metalwork from west of China's

本拍品的八方造型與模印開光別開生面，它屬於一組極為珍罕的龍泉窯青釉梅瓶， 燒的釉面，然後再入窯燒造。但此類工藝僅適用於水平器表，至於像瓶 (如本拍品)、
其器身俱呈棱面，且模印圖紋清晰玲瓏。這批作品的印花通常格外講究，但本梅瓶 高足盃或罐 (如布魯克林美術館藏八仙過海罐，館藏號Acc. No. 52.49.33) (圖一)
的圖紋依然傲視同儕，一應浮雕細節無不歷歷如見。公元十二至十四世紀，龍泉青 等器身垂直的作品， 則須直接將之模印在胎體之上。接下來，再用蠟遮蓋無釉的部
瓷地位之高可謂空前絕後，它們不僅深受中日鑑藏家青睞，在許多海外市場亦炙手 份，以免為其餘部位施釉時，意外沾上釉料。窯燒之際，蠟會自然溶解。倘若細看此
可熱。像本梅瓶這類青釉溫潤如玉的精絕之作，更是藏家夢寐以求的無價之寶。 元 類龍泉器物的紅褐露胎部份，常會發現微量金粉，此乃窯燒後鎏金的痕跡，惟因歲
代 (公元1279至1368年) 曾興起一類裝飾技巧，即局部圖案素胎無釉，使之與青釉 月流逝，如今已磨蝕殆盡。
形成鮮明的對比，這一手法在龍泉佳瓷中大放異彩。由於龍泉器的胎質含少量氧化
鐵，而窯燒之後，氧氣會再次進入窯內，露胎處氧化後色呈赭红，本拍品便是一例。 宋 (公元960至1279年)、金 (公元1115至1234年) 二代陶瓷之中，結合棱面造型者
在某些情況下，譬如在大盤的內底，可先將無釉的貼花元素 (如龍紋) 粘附在未經窯 少之又少。然而，棱面的龍泉青釉瓶雖寥若晨星，但在元代龍泉窯及青花作品中，其

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