Page 119 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

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妙筆生花：中國陶瓷花鳥紋飾

Rosemary Scott, International Academic Director Asian Art
蘇玫瑰 - 國際亞洲藝術部學術總監

This magnificent flask is a fine example of the most popular painted subjects 這件做工精絕的抱月瓶，完美地詮釋了中國明清陶瓷最流行
to appear on Chinese ceramics in the Ming and Qing dynasties - birds 的繪畫題材之一：花鳥畫。自古以來，中國絹本和紙本繪
and flowers - 花 鳥 畫 huanniao hua. Traditionally, the three main subjects 畫題材可歸納為三大類：山水、花鳥和人物。獨立的花卉題
of two-dimensional Chinese painting on silk and paper were landscapes, 材早期多與佛教藝術相關，但其後（尤以十世紀為然）的花
birds and flowers, and figures. In earlier periods, flowers on their own were 卉描寫日益普遍。當時，花鳥這一自然寫實的組合亦時可得
often associated with Buddhist art, but they became more widely depicted, 見。四川成都的黃筌（約公元 903 至 965 年）便是以其「寫
especially in the 10th century. In this period birds and flowers as a naturalistic 生」花鳥畫名噪一時。這種畫風在職業或宮廷畫師當中尤為
combination also appeared on a regular basis. Huang Quan ( 黃 筌 c. AD 常見。黃筌曾供職宮廷畫院，其寫生之作是先用工筆細線勾
903-965) from Chengdu, Sichuan province, became famous for applying the 畫輪廓，再用諸彩填施渲染。相比之下，徐熙（公元 937 至
style known as xiesheng 寫 生 , ‘lifelike painting’ to birds and flowers. This 975 年）出身優渥卻一生布衣，其花鳥畫風亦迥然有別。徐
style was primarily adopted by professional or court artists. Huang himself 氏作品有較大的詮釋空間，運筆具書法神韻，後人稱之為
served as a painter at the imperial court and his xiesheng style was typified by 「徐熙寫意」，深受文人畫派推崇。黃筌、徐熙均追隨者眾，
the meticulous use of fine outlines filled with bright colours. Xu Xi ( 徐熙 其畫意風骨自宋代以降長盛不衰。
AD 937-975), who came from a wealthy family but never took up an official
post, painted birds and flowers in a different style. This was one in which 但據黎淑儀分析，早於六朝（公元 220 至 589 年 )，「繪畫
there was greater freedom of interpretation, and a more calligraphic use of 已採用『花』、『鳥』」合而為一的題材。」相關的論述
the brush. This style came to be known as Xu Xi xie yi 徐熙寫意 ‘painting 請見黎氏論文〈Bird and flower painting on Tang and Song
the idea’, and was the style largely adopted by the literati. Both Huang and ceramics〉，全文載於蘇玫瑰（Rosemary Scott）與 G. Hutt
Xu inspired followers who would carry the essence of their styles through 合編的《Style in the East Asian Tradition - Colloquies on Art
the Song dynasty and beyond. & Archaeology in Asia No. 14》，倫敦，1987 年，103 頁。黎
氏指出，傳世作品雖少如寥寥可數，但史料中至少曾提及兩
However, Lai Sukyee has noted that even as early as the Six Dynasties 位晉代（公元 265 至 420 年）花鳥畫家；時至唐代，花鳥畫
period (AD 220-589): ‘… the concept of combining ‘bird’ and ’flower’ 更儼然自成一家。黎氏還提到，文獻中大約載錄了二十名唐
motifs as a unified theme emerged in paintings.’ (see Lai Sukyee, ‘Bird 代花鳥畫家，邊鸞（活躍於八世紀末至九世紀初）便是一例，
and flower painting on Tang and Song ceramics’, Style in the East Asian 其風格或可視為黃筌畫風的前身。在某種意義上，這些早期
Tradition, Colloquies on Art & Archaeology in Asia No. 14, (R. Scott and G. 花鳥畫家對唐代陶瓷花鳥紋飾的發展可謂至關重要。
Hutt eds.), London 1987, p. 103). Lai points out that, despite the paucity
of extant examples, historical records mention at least two painters in the 早於新石器時代，仰韶文化陶瓷的紋飾中已出現獨立的動植
Jin dynasty ( 晉 265-420) who specialised in ‘bird and flower’ painting, 物描寫。商周以至漢代，間或也有採用這類題材，但到了唐
and that by the Tang dynasty this was a specific genre. Lai notes that some 代，由於人們對自然題材興趣漸濃，所以花鳥也漸以生動和
20 painters specialising in ‘bird and flower’ painting are recorded for the 諧的組合，出現於陶瓷乃至織繡品、鏨花金屬器及其他材質
Tang period. One of these was Bian Luan ( 邊 鸞 active late 8th-early 9th 的紋飾題材之中。長沙銅官窯的彩繪器物，應是最廣泛採用
century), whose style may be seen as a precursor to that of Huang Quan. 花鳥題材的例子之一。該窯址 1979 年出土的執壺中，以花
These early bird and flower painters may have been important for the 鳥為飾者約佔七成。這些紋飾以鐵褐、銅綠或銅紅各色繪
development of this subject on ceramics in the Tang period. 成，詳見蘇玫瑰編著的《Chinese Copper Red Wars》，倫敦，
1992 年，圖版 1 號。頗堪玩味的是，長沙銅官窯器物的花
Separate representations of flora and fauna can be seen amongst the 鳥紋飾多用鐵褐色細線繪成，較粗的線條則用銅綠或銅紅色
painted decoration on ceramics as early as the Yangshao culture of the 描畫。這些花鳥紋在胎體所劃細線的襯托下，構成了生動活
Neolithic period. These separate depictions continued spasmodically 潑、妙趣橫生的畫面。
through the Shang, Zhou and Han periods, but with the advent of the
Tang dynasty as increased interest in the depiction of nature saw birds
and flowers painted as harmonious, naturalistic groups on ceramics, as
well as appearing on woven textiles, chased metalwork, and works of art
in other media. Amongst the most prolific applications of this theme to
ceramics was on the painted wares from the Changsha kilns at Tongguan,
where some 70% of the ewers excavated from the kiln site in 1979 were
decorated with bird and flower motifs. These were painted in iron brown,
copper green and sometimes in copper red (see, for example, Chinese

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