Page 110 - Christie's, Important Chinese Works of Art, Hong Kong Dec 3 2021

fig. 1 A Xing white-glazed vase, Tang dynasty. fig. 2 A Yue sherd incised with houyuan,
Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing excavated from a chemical plant in Hangzhou
圖一 唐代邢窯白瓷瓶 圖二 原杭州東南化工廠廠址出土刻有「後苑」二字的越窯瓷片
北京故宮博物院藏品 圖片來源：鄧禾穎：〈南宋早期宮廷用瓷及相關問題探析 — 從原杭州東南化工
廠出土瓷器談起〉，載於《東方博物》2012 年 01 期

2960 Continued

This gracefully potted vase, with its ovoid body, lipped rim and incised While the current vase was likely made during the Northern Song
bands on the neck and shoulder, is very similar in shape and proportion dynasty, it is equally possible that it was once used by the Houyuan
to a Tang dynasty Xing white-glazed vase in the Palace Museum institute during the Southern Song dynasty. While the Ding kilns in
Collection (fig. 1), illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu daquan- taoci bian, Hebei fell under Jin territory after the Jurchen takeover, it appears
Taipei, 1993, pl. 190. However, with a lustrous ivory-tinged glaze and that the Southern Song court maintained admiration for northern
fine body, this vase is more refined than those produced during the Ding wares, as indicated by a number of extant Ding pieces inscribed
Tang dynasty, and was more likely a Ding-type piece made during the with Southern Song palace names. Once such example is a Ding
11th-12th century when coal was used as fuel at the kilns instead of dish carved with chilong dragons and incised on the base with the
wood, as with its prototype Xing wares. Southern Song palace name Shoucheng Dian (museum number:
guci007714N000000000) (fig. 3). This suggests Ding wares made in
The unglazed base of the current vase is incised with the characters the north made their way to the Southern Song court and were labelled
Houyuan (literal meaning the ‘back garden’). Houyuan is the name of with palace names. The Palace Museum also has a number of Ding
a palace institute under the imperial household department, which wares incised with various palace names, illustrated by Feng Xianming
according to Song Shi (The History of Song), was in charge of palace in ‘Ciqi qianshuo’, Wenwu, 1959, issue 7 (fig. 4).
maintenance as well as utensils used by imperial members. This vase
was therefore very likely once used within the palace complex of the Aside from the current vase, there appears to be no other known Ding
Song dynasty. piece bearing the same inscription, making it even more rare with great
historical importance, shedding light on the usage of ceramic wares in
The Houyuan institute continued its existence during the Southern the palace during the Song dynasty.
Song dynasty, after the Jurchens took over the northern part of China
in the 12th century. According to the early Yuan text Wulin Jiushi, the
appreciation of flowers within the Southern Song court was organised
by the Houyuan, which also took care of the display of imperial utensils
during such events. In 2009, numerous Song-dynasty sherds were
excavated from a chemical plant in Hangzhou, which sits on a site
where government officials hosted foreign diplomats within the capital
during the Southern Song dynasty. One Yue sherd is incised with the
same characters Houyuan (fig. 2), suggesting that ceramic pieces with
Houyuan inscription were used by Southern Song government agencies.

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