Page 247 - Christie's, NYC Important Chinese Works Of Art Sept. 22-23, 2022

A Rare Yongzheng ‘Eel Skin’-glazed

Lobed Tripod

雍正鱔魚黃釉菱口三足水仙盆

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

This exceptional eel skin-glazed vessel belongs to a group of lobed ceramic also preserved in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, and dated
tripods, which are variously described as narcissus bowls, bulb bowls, plant- to the late Kangxi reign, probably between 1709 and 1722. This painting,
pot stands, and brush-washers. It is probable that Imperial Qing dynasty which shows a beautiful woman in winter, seated next to a brazier, wearing a
ceramic vessels, such as this, were used for a range of purposes, depending sable-trimmed hat and admiring prunus blossom and frost-tipped bamboo,
on the requirements of their imperial owner at the time. Larger metal vessels is illustrated in China – The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.
are found in a similar form, although these are not usually lobed and some 258, no. 173, top row, centre. Metal burners of this type were popular in the
have more elaborate feet. These can be seen in 18th century court paintings, Qing dynasty, and examples decorated with cloisonné enamel, especially
where they are shown being used as burners or low braziers. those from the Qianlong reign, often had elaborate lids. A particularly fine
pair of Qianlong cloisonné braziers with elaborate lids, from the C. Ruston
An anonymous court painting in the collection of the Palace Museum, and Audrey B. Love Collection, was sold by Christie’s New York, 20 October
Beijing, depicts the Yongzheng Emperor warming his feet on one of these 2004, lot 354.
metal tripod burners, whilst reading. This painting is entitled Reading by a
Burner, is one of a series of Yinzhen’s [Yongzheng’s] Amusements (illustrated Among imperial ceramics, two versions of the shallow tripod form with lobed
in Harmony and Integrity – The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, body appeared in the Yongzheng reign. One of these seems to have been
2009, pp. 118-9, no. I-58). A similar large metal burner is depicted providing made in close imitation of Southern Song dynasty crackle-glazed wares.
warmth for one of the Twelve Beauties at Leisure Painted for Prince Yinzhen, One of these Ge-type tripods, which had previously been in the collection

此鱔魚黃釉器品相佳妙，它來自一批寥寥可數的菱口三足陶瓷器物，常見名稱有水 然) 多配做工精美的蓋。紐約佳士得曾於2004年10月20日拍出一對品相極佳的盧
仙盆、三足洗、盆托、筆洗等，不一而足。像本拍品這類清代御瓷，當年應是根據宮 詩敦與樂奧德珍藏 (C. Ruston and Audrey B. Love Collection) 乾隆掐絲琺瑯
內物主的實際需要，發揮各式各樣的用途。形制相仿的實例中有器型較大的金屬 連蓋火爐 (拍品編號354)，其蓋之做工極其講究。
器，但大多不具菱口，部份器足愈發精巧。十八世紀宮廷繪畫也有這類器物的身影，
畫中用作火爐或低矮的火盆。 綜觀歷代御瓷，雍正一朝曾出現兩款淺身的瓣形弧壁三足水仙盆，其中一者似乎銳
意模仿南宋開片釉器物。2009年3月19日，紐約佳士得曾拍出一例仿哥釉近似例 (
北京故宮博物院藏一幅佚名宮廷畫，圖中的雍正帝閒坐讀書，其足下火爐正是這一 拍品編號702)，此乃史蒂芬‧瓊肯三世 (Stephen Junkunc III) 舊藏。另一件署雍
類型的三足金屬爐。此畫題為《胤禛行樂圖：圍爐觀書》，載於《雍正：清世宗文物 正款的近似例施仿官釉或仿哥釉，瑞典鑑藏名家卡爾‧坎普 (Carl Kempe) 曾將之
大展》頁118-9編號I-58 (臺北：2009)。北京故宮珍藏一組胤禛《十二美人圖》，據 外借東方陶瓷協會，於《Exhibition of Ju and Kuan Wares – Imperial Wares
考繪於康熙末年1709至1722年間，其中一幅亦呈現了一個近似的大型金屬爐。圖中 of the Sung Dynasty, Related Wares and Derivatives of Later Date》展出 (
美人於隆冬端坐爐畔，頭帶貂皮軟帽，靜賞寒梅雪竹，圖見《盛世華章》頁258編號 倫敦：1952)，詳見展覽圖錄圖版6編號110。倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館藏也有
173上排中圖 (倫敦：2005)。此類火爐盛行於清，掐絲琺瑯之作 (尤以乾隆一朝為 一件近似之作，但耐人尋味的是，有人似曾意圖磨掉器底的年號款，此舉或是為了

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