Page 141 - Sothebys Speelman Gems of Chinese Art

From the beginning of the Qing dynasty, interest in foreign 自清初以來，宮廷對舶來珍品興趣漸濃，歐式奢侈工藝品更
curiosities increased among the court and the demand for 備受青睞。觀其造型風格及工藝，本品應為廣東製造。清代
elaborately decorated luxury goods made in a European style 廣州是對外主要通商口岸，舶來品頗為流通。廣東工匠擅長
escalated. The style and techniques employed for this lavish 納西洋技藝為己用，其作品近似西洋原物，卻不乏中式韻
vase suggest it was produced in Guangzhou, a city that had
味。十八世紀，歐洲人屢向清廷進獻各式鼻煙盒、懷錶、座
considerable access to foreign material goods as it served
鐘等巧藝玩意，宮廷造辦處及廣州本地工匠紛習其藝，應用
as a main crossroads for foreign trade. The Guangzhou
於中式器物，再糅合中西風格紋飾，本品即為一例。如此品
craftsmen were masters at adopting and adapting Western
之鎏金銅器，鑲貼料石以仿祖母綠、紅寶石、藍寶石及鑽石
techniques into their repertoire to create pieces that captured
等珍貴寶石，外觀華麗奪目，頗得乾隆聖心，故下旨續製供
a likeness of the original foreign goods while retaining a
Chinese essence. Originally a technique employed on small 御，而尺寸較小之品則多為上送宮廷之貢品。
snuff boxes, pocket watches and clocks imported from Europe
to China in the 18th century as gifts to the Imperial court, 可比較其他同類作例，器形及紋飾各異。其中一件為 Gordon
Chinese craftsmen in both the imperial palace and Guangzhou Getty 舊藏鎏金銅鏨花鑲彩料福壽如意蓋瓶，先售於紐約蘇富
quickly embraced and emulated these Western techniques on 比2007年9月18日，編號151，再售於香港佳士得2014年5月
Chinese forms while combining motifs from both, as seen on 28日，編號3011。另有一件嵌料石香爐，紋飾與本品相近，
the present vase. Ornate gilt-metal objects richly embellished 台北故宮博物院藏，展於《若水澄華－院藏玻璃文物特展》，
with coloured glass-paste stones that imitate precious stones
台北，2016年，編號149。另可參考台北故宮博物院藏一套佛
such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds, attracted
教八吉祥供器，展於《金銅佛教供具特展》，台北，1995年，
the attention of the Qianlong Emperor, who commissioned
編號30。紐約蘇富比也曾售一件帽架，飾與此類，2009年9月
many impressive pieces for the palace to be made. Smaller
14日，編號228。
items were selected as tribute to the court.
Compare vases of this type, of various shapes and designs,
such as a baluster example, from the Gordon Getty collection,
sold in our New York rooms, 18th September 2007, lot 151,
and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th May 2014, lot 3011;
and a large double-gourd vase sold at Christie’s New York,
19th March 2008, lot 369. Compare also a glass paste-inset
incense burner with closely related decoration in the National
Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the exhibition Limpid
Radiance. A Special Exhibition of Glass Artifacts from the
National Palace Museum Collection, Taipei, 2016, cat. no.
149. A related set of eight auspicious Buddhist emblems,
in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the
Museum’s Special Exhibition of Buddhist Gilt Votive Objects,
Taipei, 1995, cat. no. 30; and a hat stand was sold in our New
York rooms, 14th September 2009, lot 228.

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