Page 53 - J.J. Lally Chinese Art CHRISTIE'S March 23 2023 NYC

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CHASED GOLD CUP

FROM THE SONG DYNASTY

Robert D. Mowry

宋ǭ金鏨蓮紋鋬耳盃

毛⇧

ating to the Song dynasty (AD 960–1279), this As witnessed by this superb cup, the decorative motifs on
exceptionally rare gold cup demonstrates that Chinese Song gold and silver vessels typically appear against a plain,
Dsophistication in goldsmithing persisted from the Tang unembellished ground in contrast to the beautiful but staid designs
dynasty (AD 618–907) well into the Song. The vessel’s finely on Tang vessels whose backgrounds were frequently textured with
chased decoration features a leafy spray bearing a single lotus row upon row of tiny intaglio circles referred to as a ring-mat
bud and two stylized lotus blossoms on its flat floor and a single ground in English and as a fish-roe pattern in Chinese. In fact, the
fruit at the center of a symmetrical arrangement of leaves on the design motifs on Song gold and silver vessels took inspiration from
horizontal flange that serves as its wing, or grip, handle. The cup’s contemporaneous bird-and-flower paintings on paper and silk,
plain, lightly burnished side walls perfectly showcase the elegant mimicking the paintings’ refined compositions, naturalistic style,
decorative scheme. The vertically set, loop handle that appears and fluid lines.
under the lobed, crescent-shaped flange visually echoes the vessel’s
narrow, half-round lip. Frequently exhibited and often published,
this beautiful cup has a distinguished provenance, having passed
through the Ton-Ying Collection of Zhang Renjie (1877–1950)
as well as through the collections of Mrs. Christian R. Holmes
(1871–1940) and U.S. Senator Hugh Scott (1900–1994).
Some have suggested that this vessel might have served as a brush
washer for the desk of an emperor or high government official,
as ceramic examples in this shape sometimes served as brush
washers in the studios of the literati in Ming (1368–1644) and Qing
1
(1644–1911) times. In fact, the exact function of such gold vessels
at the time of their creation has yet to be determined, but at least
some archaeologists believe that they were used as drinking cups at
the imperial court. 2
Fig. 1 Gold cup with chased motifs, Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Victoria and Albert
Museum, London, M.30-1935. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
圖ˏ 金鏨蓮紋鋬耳盃
元
維૨利̯和阿ḓΏṁ博ḵ館藏
і敦
館藏編號.
© 維૨利̯和阿ḓΏṁ博ḵ館
і敦

此例宋ջ 公元 至 年
金盃工藝精湛，將自唐 公元 至 有՞㊘為，此盃當年或許是天子或大臣的文房✖洗，蓋因明 公元
年
至宋薪ỉ相傳Ǯ出▵入化的金器工藝詮釋得淋漓盡致ǯ盃的內底 至 年
Ǯ清 公元 至 年
Հջ文՞的書桌之ӳ，間或也有形
J
精心鏨刻枝繁葉茂的折枝蓮紋，枝ӳ結一蓮蕾ক兩朵綻放的蓮花，鋬 制雷ऱ的陶≢✖洗ǯ ㊦然，此類金器ㅳה之時的具體⊇途խ有待ਦ
耳或板沿表面平鏨對稱葉紋，中段綴一果實ǯ盃身光素且拋光柔ক， 榷，ֿ至少有一部份考ऒ學家相信，這批ה品應是宮中的飲器ǯ JJ
將紋飾構圖襯托得益發清新雅潔ǯऑ沿一側出菱花邊月牙板沿，Ӵ接
一垂直∪耳，與औ一半的細窄盃沿ӳӴঈ應ǯ此盃妙不ज㈲，它常→ ㊦如本季的精美金盃所示，宋ջ金銀器的紋樣地子大多光素無紋，較
身प大展㈇，且時有發表，其經手藏家無不赫赫有ल，諸如通運公त 諸唐ջ器物精美繁縟ֿ略為刻板的紋樣，及其排列細密的經典陰線小
的張՞傑先⊂ 至 年
，ս及洪默思夫՞ .ST $ISJTUJBO 3 圈 英文常形容為「Ⅷⅸ地 SJOH NBU HSPVOE
」，中文多稱之為魚子紋
)PMNFT， 至 年
及美國參㍗員ट柯特 )VHI 4DPUU， 至 ，兩者ज謂大⊿其趣ǯԿ實ӳ，宋ջ金銀器的紋飾題材脫胎於當時的
年
✙ǯ

50 51