Page 112 - Christie's Important Chinese Works of Art, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

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Tea drinking has a long history in China - remnants of tea leaves dating to 本玉壺選取大塊上等白玉料雕刻而成，材質溫潤，挖膛規整。蓋鈕鏤雕蟠龍，
as early as the Warring States, 2300 years ago, were discovered in a burial 為清宮玉器的經典紋飾。壺身多留白，用以展現優良玉質，僅兩面淺浮雕菊
of the Zhu Kingdom, showing how deep rooted and resilient Chinese tea
culture is. Many of Chinese emperors were tea enthusiasts, with Emperors 花圖案點綴，巧妙留皮以作花色，花卉線條流暢，花瓣以打漥、隆起兩種打磨
Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong being some of the most notable. Kangxi 技法表現自然界花瓣的陰陽兩面，全器精工雕琢，打磨細膩，一絲不苟，為乾
loved tea, Yongzheng regarded it as a treasure, and Qianlong was second 隆玉雕茶壺的上乘佳作，不為多見。
to none in his dedication to tea culture. The Imperial workshop made many
tea vessels in a variety of materials during their reigns, such as in pottery,
porcelain, jade, enamel, and glass. However, teapots made from top quality 玉製方形茶壺自明代晚期即已出現於宮廷之中，至清代早期因受瓷器及宜興
Khotan jade in the Qianlong period were the most precious of all. 紫砂器的發展所影響，其造型更為秀美，裝飾圖案典雅清新。故宮博物院
藏一方形玉茶壺，可資比較，載於廖寶秀《茶韻茗事—故宮茶話》，2010年，
Chinese lapidary skills were well developed by the Qing period, and 第161頁，圖版11以及第178頁，圖版11。另外本壺蓋鏤雕蟠龍鈕為清宮玉器的
reached a zenith under the Qianlong emperor, who was a jade aficionado. 經典雕飾手法，相似例可見一仿古白玉四足蓋爐的蓋鈕（圖二），載於故宮博
Jade teapots were some of the most difficult to make, requiring top
quality material coupled with a mastery of lapidary skills, including the 物院藏文物珍品全集《玉器（下）》，香港，1995年，圖版149、156。
hollowing of the interior and the spout, therefore few examples dated to
the Qianlong period remain. Jade wares were considered objects of virtue 「寒雨連江夜入吳，平明送客楚山孤。洛陽親友如相問，一片冰心在玉壺。」
by a Chinese gentleman, and constitute an important part of the display 自唐王昌齡《芙蓉樓送辛漸》以來，玉壺的價值不僅止於物件本身，更成了人
at Qing court. Jade teapots are not only beautiful works of art for the
emperor’s appreciation, they also add a new dimension to the tea drinking 們心中對美好的寄託。清白廉潔、溫潤質堅、高雅脫俗，這些文人心中美好的
experience. 情操，在本拍品上一覽無遺。
The current jade teapot is carved from a large piece of top quality jade 本茶壺原為Edward John Cyril Vint舊藏。E. J. C. Vint1894年5月14日出
material, with large areas left plain to showcase the quality of the stone. 生於英國布拉得福市 (Bradford) 里士滿別墅 (Richmond House)，該別墅
The finial is carved in the form of a coiled dragon, a classic motif found
on imperial jade cavings. The two sides of the body are highlighted by 為家族於羊毛業興盛之際所建並最終成為展示家族收藏之地。在從一戰泥濘
chrysanthemum sprays, carved subtly in shallow relief, and ingeniously 戰壕中返家後，他遷入伍斯特郡 (Worcestershire)一家農場，並在該地成功
using the russet skin of the boulder as colour of the petals. 創辦了一間水果農莊。1937年左右，他在既有的象牙和琥珀收藏上開始建立
他的玉器收藏。
Rectangular jade teapots were produced in the Ming imperial court, and
gained popularity in the early Qing Dynasty, influenced by the forms
of Yixing teapots. Compare a jade teapot with square section in the
collection of the National Palace Museum, which is illustrated by Liao
Baoxiu in Chayun mingshi, Gugong chahua, Taipei, 2010, p. 161, no. 11 and
p. 178, no. 11. For jade vessels with similar dragon-form finials, see the
archaistic white jade censer and cover (fig. 2) in the Palace Museum,
Beijing illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
Museum, Jadeware III, Hong Kong, 1995, no. 149, 156.

In one of Tang poet Wang Changling’s poems, he uses the jade teapot as
the symbol of integrity. Thereafter for the Chinese literati, jade teapots
have transcended their material value to become an ideal of virtue. Pure
and elegant, gently gleaming yet strong, these are qualities one should
strive for, and are clearly visible on the current teapot.

五千年的中國歷史，其中一半有茶為伴，早在二千三百多年前戰國時代的邾
國墓葬中就有茶葉的遺跡，可見茶文化在中國根深蒂固，歷久彌新。歷代帝
王多有喜愛茗事者，清三代帝王更將其發展至巔峰。康熙好品茗、雍正視茶 (detail of cover 蓋鈕細圖)
如珍寶、但都比不上乾隆對茶事之投入。康雍乾三朝清宮內府製作的茶器有
各類材質，如陶、瓷、玉、琺瑯、玻璃…等，然而乾隆朝以和闐上等玉料所製
作的茶壺為其中最為珍貴者。

玉雕工藝的發展至清代已相當純熟，在「玉癡」乾隆皇帝的推動之下更是
登峰造極。其中，玉壺乃工藝最為繁複且細緻之器型之一，對玉料的要求極
高，掏膛、開流均考驗玉匠功力，因此由乾隆朝遺留至今的玉壺為數甚少。
玉器自古便是君子以其美德自詡的珍寶，更是清宮內藏不可或缺的品類，
而玉壺不僅供帝王陳設賞玩，更為品茗喫茶增添許多情趣。

fig. 2 Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
圖二 北京故宮博物院藏品

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