Page 52 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art Nov 2013 Hong Kong

230 尊唇口，長頸，折肩，腹部內斂，圈足外撇，頸部有如意雙耳，其器形
A fine and rare flambe-glazed ‘elephant handle’ pear-shaped vase 古拙且俊秀，釉面流淌自然，以紅、藍、月白三色交替變化，色彩斑
Qianlong six-character seal mark and of the period 斕，其底部施醬黃色釉，並刻「大清乾隆年製」六字三行篆書款。
The slender neck converging towards a thickly lipped mouth, flanked by
a pair of thin elephant-head handles, all lustrously decorated in a thick 參看瀋陽故宮博物院藏一件類似的乾隆窯變瓶，著錄於《瀋陽故宮博物
purplish-red glaze with striking streaks of creamy bluish glaze, the base 院院藏精粹：瓷器卷二》，2007年，頁147；另見懷海堂藏一件類似的
impressed with a six-character Imperial zhuanshu seal mark. 清乾隆窯變釉象耳瓶，著錄於香港中文大學文物館編，《機暇清賞：懷
22cm high. 海堂藏清代御窯瓷瓶》，香港，2007年，頁236-237，編號75；其他類
HK$1,200,000 - 1,500,000 似之例，見劉良佑著，《中國歷代陶瓷鑑賞5：清官窯及民窯》，
US$150,000 - 190,000 台北，1991，頁207；紐約佳士得曾售出一件類似的乾隆窯變雙耳
瓶，2004年3月24日，拍品235；另見倫敦邦瀚斯2012年11月8日，拍
清乾隆 窯變釉象耳尊 「大清乾隆年製」篆書款 品120。

The form of the current lot is inspired by larger archaic bronze vessel
examples, and is only recorded to have existed in the Qianlong period.
The stylised elephant motifs handles at the neck can be interpreted as
xiang, which forms the pun taiping youxiang which literally means ‘a
sign of peacefulness’.

Compare a similar flambé-glazed vase dated to the Qianlong period in
the Shenyang Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Prime Cultural
Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum. Porcelain. Volume
II, 2007, p.147. See also another related example in the Huaihaitang
collection, illustrated in Ethereal Elegance. Porcelain Vases of the Imperial
Qing. The Huaihaitang Collection, Hong Kong, 2007, pp.236-237,
no.75. See another flambé-glazed vase also with ‘elephant’ handles,
illustrated by Liu Liang-yu, A Survey of Chinese Ceramics. Ch’ing Official
and Popular Wares. Vol.5, Taipei, 1991, p.207.

A similar flambé-glazed vase also with Qianlong seal mark and period
was sold at Christie’s New York, 24 March 2004, lot 235; another
from an Italian private collection was also sold in our London rooms, 8
November 2012, lot 120.

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