Page 46 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art December 2015 Hong Kong

A testament to the exceptional skills employed at the imperial kilns Compare also the similar intricate enamelling in puce colour of the
and a superb example of imperial porcelain production at the height dragon on the present moonflask to the phoenixes on a large pink-
of the Qianlong period, this flask exhibits certain characteristics typical enamelled blue and white moonflask, Qianlong seal mark and period,
of the finest pieces made for the Qianlong emperor. The unusual formerly in the Shorenstein collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong,
small and intimate size (16.8cm high), makes this vase a personal 1 December 2010, lot 2968.
piece to be handled and admired. Further, it is very rare to find this
style of decoration featuring a dragon in puce enamel surrounded by A very similar moonflask (16.8cm high), but with an effaced mark,
underglaze blue cloud scrolls. possibly the pair to the present lot, was sold in our London rooms,
17 May 2012, lot 347.
Compare, however, a number of similar moonflasks, but of larger
size: see from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete 瓶唇口，短頸，頸、肩部塑對稱夔鳳耳，扁圓腹，橢圓形圈足。腹部
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White 兩面以胭脂紅彩各繪一正面龍，龍身四周以青花飾如意雲紋，瓶頸部
Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl.232 (29cm 兩面各以胭脂彩飾一「壽」字，足牆繪雲蝠相稱，寓意「福壽雙全」
high); see also an interior view showing a pair of similar moonflasks 。底部以青花書「大清乾隆年製」篆書款。
decorating the Cui Yun Guan, the ‘Hall of Green Cloud’ in the
Forbidden City, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures 胭脂紅彩為釉上彩，於清雍正十三年(1735)在景德鎮御窯廠燒製成
of the Palace Museum: Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (II), 功，唐英在《陶成紀事碑》中將其稱之為「新製西洋紫色」，耿寶昌
Hong Kong, 2002, pl.261; and compare also a related pair of puce- 亦將其乾隆時期此類官窯瓷器稱為青花胭脂紫，見其《明清瓷器鑑
enamelled blue and white baluster ‘dragon’ vases, Qianlong marks 定》，香港，1993年，頁277。北京故宮博物院藏一件清宮舊藏清乾
and period, illustrated in Chinese Ceramics in the Idemitsu Collection, 隆胭脂彩雲龍紋雙鳳耳扁壺，形制略大，但裝飾手法類似，見《故宮
Tokyo, 1987, pl.228 (48.9cm high). 博物院藏文物珍品全集：青花釉裏紅（下）》，香港，2000年，圖
232；另見日本出光美術館藏一對青花胭脂紅彩瓶，著錄於《出光美
The form of the present vase is inspired by early 15th century 術館藏品圖錄：中國瓷器》，東京，1987年，圖228.
moonflasks, which in turn were based on Islamic metal forms. The
form was re-established as an imperial favourite in the 18th century. 此類抱月瓶器形較小，為皇親國戚較為私密住所的宮廷陳列用瓷。故
This was characteristic of the Qianlong emperor’s admiration of past 宮重華宮後殿的翠雲館為乾隆皇帝作為皇子時讀書並大婚的地方，其
forms and decorative styles, and arguably as a symbolic way of 祥雲門內靠牆的紫檀長桌上即陳設有一對青花胭脂紅龍紋抱月瓶，見
stamping the Qing five-clawed full-front dragon over the Ming dynasty 《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：明清家具（下）》，香港，2002年，
style shaped vase. 圖261。倫敦邦瀚斯曾售出一件類似的青花胭脂紅彩蝠壽龍紋雙耳抱
月瓶，2012年5月17日，編號347。

Bonhams London, 17 May 2012, lot 347
倫敦邦瀚斯，2012年5月17日，編號347

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