Page 217 - 2019 October Important Chinese Art Sotheby's Hong Kong

This vase is remarkable in many ways: its powerful and 此瓶出類拔萃，飾蒼龍教子，波瀾壯闊，氣勢磅薄，
dynamic depiction of dragons chasing a flaming pearl, its fine 工藝臻美超群，器形沉穩巨碩。十八世紀銅胎掐絲琺
workmanship and above all its monumental size. It displays 瑯器製作工藝突飛猛進，皆因琺瑯彩顏色推陳出新，
the great technical advancements made in the 18th century 包括逾二十種不透明色彩。龍軀矯健，密披紅鱗，或
in the production of cloisonné ware, which resulted in the
development of numerous enamel colours, including more 濃或淡，湛藍地上祥雲翻捲，藍色染疊，深淺不一。
than 20 opaque ones. Here the writhing scaly bodies of the
mighty dragons are painted in tones of red and pink, while 瓶身圖案栩栩如生，紅藍兩色美輪美奐，顯然受彩繪
billowing clouds are rendered in two tones of blue against a 瓷器啟發。雍乾兩朝，龍紋天球瓶傚擬明初式樣，兩
light blue ground. 尊乾隆年間青花釉裏紅龍紋天球瓶，現藏北京故宮博
The lively composition of this piece and the remarkable 物院，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系．青花釉裏
shading in the reds and blues, were clearly inspired by a 紅（下）》，上海，2000年，圖版210-211，後者與本
painted porcelain piece. Tianqiuping painted with dragons 品比例相似。
were made in the Yongzheng (r. 1723-1735) and Qianlong (r.
1736-1795) reigns and were in turn inspired by early Ming 如此大尊的雙龍趕珠紋銅胎掐絲琺瑯瓶不可多得，現
(1368-1644) prototypes. Two Qianlong mark and period 存記錄中並無近例。有一尺寸相仿的天球瓶，飾雲
tianqiuping, painted with a related motif in underglaze 龍紋，略顯靈動隨性，2017年10月3日售於香港蘇富
blue and copper red, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are 比，編號9。Peter Moores 爵士舊藏一天球瓶，青龍穿
illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures in the
Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze 梭彩雲間，兩度售於倫敦蘇富比，分別為1990年6月
Red (III), Shanghai, 2000, pls 210 and 211, the latter of 12日，編號52及2011年11月9日，編號401。北京故宮
similar proportions to the present piece. 博物院又藏一例，紅龍翔飛，藍白祥雲縈繞，器形
與此相同，尺寸較小，錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系．
Cloisonné enamel vases of such large proportions and
decorated with this motif are unusual and no other closely 琺瑯器編 3．清掐絲琺瑯》，北京，2011年，圖版
related example appears to be recorded. A vase of similar 102。香港蘇富比另有兩件更小的瓶例，其中一件為
dimensions, but the dragons rendered in a more painterly Kenneth Malcolm 及 Roger Keverne 遞藏，售於2016年
manner, was sold in these rooms, 3rd October 2017, lot 9; 10月5日，編號9，另外一件則在2015年6月1日拍出，
and another with blue dragons among clouds of various 編號658。
colours, from the collection of Sir Peter Moores, was sold
twice in our London rooms, 12th June 1990, lot 52, and 掐絲琺瑯龍紋天球瓶，在清代延燒不竭，見一件應為
9th November 2011, lot 401. A smaller vase of this form 晚清之九龍逐浪紋天球瓶，載於《中國金銀玻璃琺瑯
and with red dragons against blue and white clouds, in the
Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Compendium of 器全集》，石家莊，2002年，圖版278。
Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 3, Cloisonne
in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 102; and two much
smaller examples were sold in these rooms, the first from
the collections of Kenneth Malcolm and Roger Keverne, 5th
October 2016, lot 9, and the second, 1st June 2015, lot 658.
Cloisonné enamel vases of this shape and decoration
continued to be produced throughout the Qing dynasty.
See for example a tianqiuping with the Nine Dragons
motif against waves, attributed to the late Qing dynasty,
illustrated in Zhongguo jin yin boli falangqi quanji [Complete
collection of Chinese gold, silver, glass and enamel objects],
Shijiazhuang, 2002, pl. 278.

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