Page 140 - Christie's Important Chinese Works of Art, May 31 to June 1, 2023 Hong Kong

3075 Continued

The present pair of dishes belongs to a group that are decorated with a 盤侈口，淺弧壁，圈足。器面內外飾粉彩過枝福壽紋，兩株桃幹自外壁舒展延
total of eight peaches growing on flowering branches and accompanied 伸至盤心，枝上桃花綻開、八枚蟠桃嫣紅嬌豔，另繪五隻礬紅蝙蝠翩翩飛舞。
by five bats, forming the auspicious wufu, from the Yongzheng period.
Examples of similar dishes, with Yongzheng marks within a double square 底青花雙圈內書「大清雍正年製」楷書款。
or a double circle, are in museums and private collections worldwide, and
it appears that those with a double square mark, are much rarer. 此尺寸的五蝠八桃盤有雙圈款及雙方款兩種，前者相對較少，僅見由約翰，
洛克菲勒三世贈予紐約亞洲藝術館一例，見《Treasures of Asian Art》，
For other examples with double-circle marks in this size, see one from the 紐約，1994年，圖版198號；靜觀堂舊藏一件，1997年11月5日於香港佳士得
John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, now in the collection of Asia Society
Galleries, New York, illustrated in Treasures of Asian Art, New York, 1994, 拍賣，拍品878A號；及倫敦蘇富比2001年6月20日拍賣一例，拍品13號。
no. 198; one from the Jingguantang Collection, sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, 5 November 1997, lot 878A; and a third one sold at Sotheby’s 尺寸相仿的雙方框款五蝠八桃盤例子包括：南京博物院一例、大英博物館一
London, 20 June 2001, lot 13. 例、Barbara Hutton，2014年5月28日於香港佳士得拍賣，拍品3319號；
及John M. Crawford、區百齡及張宗憲先後遞藏一例，2003年10月27日於
For examples with double-square marks of comparable size to the current
pair of dishes, refer to one in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated by P. Lam 香港佳士得拍賣，拍品665號。
in Qing Imperial Porcelain, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995, no. 62;
a pair from the Barbara Hutton Collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 北京故宮博物院及倫敦維多利亞和阿爾伯特博物館各藏一例的五蝠八桃大
28 May 2014, lot 3319; a dish in the British Museum Collection, illustrated 盤（口徑50.6公分、口徑50.5公分），皆書雙圈款。
in Oriental Ceramics, The World's Great Collections, vol. 5, Kodansha
series, 1981, no. 226 (20.6 cm.); and one from the John M. Crawford,
Au Bak Ling and Robert Chang collections, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 這種從器內延伸至器外的畫面稱為「過枝花」，此畫法興起於雍正時期。此
27 October 2003, lot 665 (20.9 cm.). 盤紋飾有「福壽雙全」、「洪福齊天」及「五福臨門」之祥瑞寓意，應為皇帝
萬壽節而燒造。
Compare also larger dishes with this design which all have marks in
double-circles, such as one illustrated in Far Eastern Ceramics in the
Victoria and Albert Museum, Kodansha series, 1980, col. pl. 63 (50.5 cm.);
and another in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Porcelains with
Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, the Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 66,
no. 56.

It is believed by many scholars that this particular design was applied to
vessels made for the celebration of imperial birthdays. The composition
of eight peaches and five bats is very auspicious. The eight peaches
symbolise extended long life through their association with Shoulao, the
Star God of the Longevity, and also through association with the peaches
of longevity grown in the orchard of the Queen Mother of the West.
The five red bats provide rebuses both for good fortune and for the Five
Blessings of longevity, health, wealth, love of virtue and a peaceful death.

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