Page 20 - Sotheby's Asia Week March 2024 Chinee Art

Fig. 1 An underglaze-blue and copper-red ‘dragon and cloud’ vase (Tianqiuping), Seal mark Fig. 2 An underglaze-blue and copper-red ‘dragon and cloud’ vase (Tianqiuping), Seal
and period of Qianlong © The Palace Museum, Beijing mark and period of Qianlong, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 27th April 2003, lot 48
圖1 清乾隆 青花釉裏紅雲龍出海紋天球瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款 © 故宮博物院，北京 圖2 清乾隆 青花釉裏紅雲龍出海紋天球瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款，售於香港蘇富比2003
年4月27日，編號48

Visually striking and extremely rare, this magnificent Blue and White Porcelain with Underglazed Red (III), Hong 本青花釉裏紅天球瓶瑰麗典雅，珍稀難得，宣示乾隆 月29日，編號192，2003年4月27日，編號48 (圖2)，
underglaze-blue and copper-red vase heralds the grandeur Kong, 2000, pl. 210 (fig. 1); the second from the Tsui 皇帝天子無上威嚴，確立江山正統。中國皇帝深信皇 以及 2004年10月31日，編號22； 第三例1984 年 5 月
of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-95) and his legitimacy to Museum of Art, Hong Kong, sold three times in our Hong 權天授，此瓶無論器型、紋飾，處處均顯乾隆皇帝天 22 日售於香港蘇富比，編號 125，後由台灣鴻禧美
the throne as the ‘Son of Heaven’. The Chinese emperors Kong rooms, 29th October 1991, lot 192, 27th April 2003, 威。本瓶精繪雲龍游弋祥雲之間，紋飾品類極為罕 術館收藏，圖載 James Spencer，《Selected Chinese
believed they ruled by heavenly mandate and every element lot 48 (fig.2), and again 31st October 2004, lot 22; a third,
of the present piece serves symbolically to affirm Qianlong’s sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 22nd May 1984, lot 125, and 見，取靈感自宋代書畫以及明初青花，時景德鎮御窰 Ceramics from Han to Qing Dynasties》，台北，1990
supreme power as emperor, from the form to the dynamic later entering the Chang Foundation, Taiwan, illustrated 由督陶官唐英執掌，彰顯乾隆一朝瓷匠卓絕工藝巧 年，圖版150；第四例曾展於「香江雅集-- 香港回歸
dragon motif among the celestial clouds. The vase belongs in James Spencer, Selected Chinese Ceramics from Han 思。本品迎合皇帝品味，融古代經典器型紋飾於清朝 祖國20周年特展」，北京首都博物館，2017年，
to an exclusive and small group of ‘dragon and cloud’ to Qing Dynasties, Taipei, 1990, pl. 150; and the fourth, 精湛技術，成就傳世珍品慕古而創新。 編號103。
tianqiuping that were inspired by Song dynasty (960-1279) included in the exhibition Xiangjiang yaji. Xianggang huigui 除本品外，同類紋飾乾隆天球瓶僅存四例，一例清宮 雲海波濤變化萬千，歷代皆屬常見中國藝術題材，
dragon paintings and early-Ming dynasty (1368-1644) blue zuguo 20 zhounian tezhan / Treasures of Hong Kong. The
and white porcelain. This group boasts the exceptional 20th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Handover, Capital Museum, 舊藏，現存於北京故宮博物院 (藏品編號： 代表海、天、風、雨等，實乃中華藝術傳統基礎元
craftsmanship and creativity of potters working under Beijing, 2017, cat. no. 103. 故00156815)，載於故宮博物院網站，圖載《故宮博物 素。雲海波濤及靈獸等紋飾組合可遠溯至東周晚期。
the supervision of Tang Ying (1682-1756), the brilliant 院藏文物珍品全集•釉青花釉裏紅 (下) 》， 中國神話相信祥龍可吞雲吐霧、駕馭波濤，可令天降
Superintendent of the Imperial Kilns in Jingdezhen, who Clouds and waves in their endless variations and forms 香港，2000 年，圖版210 (圖1)；第二例出自香港徐氏 甘霖，亦能掌控洪水。
strived to cater to the taste of the Emperor. By referencing a have always fascinated Chinese artists. As abbreviations 藝術館，三度於香港蘇富比易手，先後為：1991年10
celebrated design and form from China’s past and skillfully of sea and sky, symbols of rain and wind, they are
fusing it with high Qing technical mastery, the result is a fundamental to the Chinese art tradition. Depictions of
spectacular piece that is at once familiar and innovative. fantastic beings among waves and clouds can be dated
back to as early as the shamanist beliefs of the late
In addition to the present vase, only four other Qianlong Eastern Zhou period (771 BC-256 BC). Dragon as one of
tianqiuping of the same design appear to be recorded. the most iconic creatures in Chinese mythology has been
One is from the Qing Court Collection, now preserved in associated closely with clouds and waves, as this mythical
the Palace Museum, Beijing (accession no. 故00156815), animal is believed to have power over the water, in the
published on the Museum’s website and illustrated in The form of rain or of floods, and breathe clouds.
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum.

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