Page 121 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

accompanied this change of circumstances. Qian Xuan ( 錢選 1235-1305), fig. 2 Christie’s Hong Kong, fig. 3 Collection of the Palace
for example, who prior to the Mongol conquest, employed a highly realistic
style in his bird and flower painting, reacted to the establishment of Mongol 3 June 2015, lot 3126 Museum, Beijing
rule by seeking to revive ancient styles, such as the ‘blue and green’ style 圖二 香港佳士得，2015年6月3日， 圖三 北京故宮博物院藏品
of the Tang dynasty in his landscape paintings, while developing a more
individual and mannered style for other themes. Zhao Mengfu ( 趙 孟 頫 拍品3126號
1254-1322), who was a descendant of one of the Song emperors, and wrote
a colophon to Huizong’s painting Finches and Bamboo, did accept Khubilai 大異其趣，與文人畫的水墨意趣卻遙相呼應。
Khan’s offer of an official post, and rose to high positions under several
emperors, including the position of 翰林學士承旨 Hanlin xueshi chengzhi 元代的政治氣候對文人畫家也有影響，他們大多不見用於蒙
(the Hanlin Academician in Receipt of Edicts). His paintings, which were 古朝廷，有的拒不入仕，寧願寄情山水、潛心治學。有時候，
highly esteemed, included landscapes, horses and other animals, figures, 時局更迭亦催生了風格的嬗變。以錢選（公元 1235 至 1305
bamboo and rocks, and, primarily in his early career, birds and flowers. One 年）為例，蒙古人入主中原之前，他的花鳥畫高度寫實，
of his bird and flower paintings is 幽篁戴勝圖 Hoopoe Perching on a Branch of 但在蒙古人治下卻致力摹古，其山水畫便是師從唐代青綠山
Secluded Bamboo, now in the Palace Museum, Beijing. In this painting Zhao 水，在創作別的題材時，其個人色彩和風格也益發明顯。趙
used a ‘double outline’ technique ( 雙 鉤 shuanggou) for the bamboo and a 孟頫（公元 1254-1322 年）為宋室之後，曾為徽宗《竹禽圖》
‘boneless’ technique ( 沒骨 mogu) for the bird. This is perhaps reflective of 題辭，亦見用於元世祖，侍奉多朝君王，並出任翰林學士承
the eclectic taste he demonstrated in his own collection of paintings. One of 旨等要職。他的畫作無論是山水、駿馬和其他動物，以至人
his protégées was the professional painter WangYuan ( 王淵 , active mid-14th 物、竹石或其早年偏愛的花鳥題材，皆備受世人推崇。他的
century) who specialised in bird and flower and bamboo paintings – which 花鳥名作之一是《幽篁戴勝圖》，現藏北京故宮博物院。趙
he typically painted in ink, in a style recalling that of Huang Quan. 氏常以「雙鉤」畫竹，用「沒骨」繪鳥。這種二者並舉的畫
風，或多或少反映了他兼收並蓄的藏畫品味。他的門生王淵
For ceramics, the latter part of the Yuan dynasty saw the establishment of （活躍於公元十四世紀中葉）為職業畫家，擅畫花鳥修竹，
fine underglaze blue painting on the porcelains of Jingdezhen. The use 作品以水墨居多，畫意頗得黃筌之妙。
of ground cobalt blue in suspension, painted directly onto unfired, porous,
porcelain is perhaps the ceramic decorative technique which is closest 元代後期，景德鎮陶瓷的釉下青花裝飾工藝已發展成熟。畫
to painting in ink on silk or paper, and is the one used on the current 師用懸浮粉末狀的鈷料，直接在未經窰燒、滲水透氣的瓷坯
flask. Painting in enamels on a pre-fired glaze will not be included in this 上作畫，這種畫瓷工藝也許最富有絹本或紙本繪畫的神韻，
discussion. The overall widening of decorative subjects on ceramics in the 亦與本拍品的裝飾手法不謀而合。但因篇幅所限，在已窰燒
Yuan dynasty, as well as the diversity of the patrons for whom they were 釉料上用琺瑯彩作畫的工藝不在此文探討範圍之內。鑑於消
made, appears to have resulted in a relatively limited number of designs 費者背景各異，加上元瓷的紋飾題材愈見豐富，所以當時在
which could strictly be described as ‘bird and flower’ motifs being applied 嚴格意義上可稱為景德鎮「花鳥」畫瓷器的數目十分有限。
to Jingdezhen porcelains in this period. While a significant number of 雖然飾自然題材的元代青花佳瓷數量可觀，但花鳥畫紋飾仍
subjects from nature do appear on fine Yuan blue and white porcelains, 以鴛鴦戲荷類居多，偶爾也有蘆雁圖、孔雀牡丹圖等變奏。
the most common bird and flower scheme is ducks and lotus, with some
occasional alternatives, such as geese and millet, and peacocks and peonies. 時至十五世紀初明代，佳妙的花鳥畫終於在景德鎮御窯青花
瓷器上大放異彩。這一方面得益於早期畫家的創作，其靈感
It was in the early 15th century of the Ming dynasty that fine bird and 部份來自當時數名宮廷藝術家（如活躍於十五世紀初的邊景
flower painting really came into its own on underglaze blue decorated 照）的花鳥畫，而這些畫家本身對傳統畫法也有所繼承和發
porcelains at the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen. This was in part inspired 揚；另一方面，則可歸功於《本草綱目》等木刻書籍的普及。
by paintings of earlier artists, partly by the work of a number of successful 十五世紀初最細膩傳神的瓷器花鳥紋飾，也許俱出自抱月瓶，
contemporary court painters of birds and flowers, such as Bian Jingzhao
( 邊景照 active early 15th century), who themselves built on the traditions
of the past, and partly by the increasing availability of illustrated woodblock
printed books, including materia medica (pharmaceutical literature dealing
with plants for their medicinal properties). Perhaps the most exquisite of
the early 15th century bird and flower painting on porcelain can be seen
on certain moon flasks, which, in turn, provided the inspiration for the
current flask. The early 15th century moon flasks, exemplified by examples
in the collection of Sir Percival David (see R. Scott, Imperial Taste – Chinese
Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, Los Angeles, 1989, p. 59, no. 30),
and in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (see Porcelain of the National
Palace Museum: Blue-and-White Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book I, Hong
Kong, plate 9a), established a very distinctive style. The body of the vessel
was a simple flattened sphere, which stood on a slightly recessed oval base,
without additional foot. The neck was cylindrical and was joined to the
shoulder of the vessel on either side by a cloud-shaped handle, decorated
with a simple scroll. The neck was decorated on either side with a
spray of bamboo, and around the shoulder and the base was a distinctive
archaistic cloud band. On one side of the body was a bird perched on a
branch of blossoming plum and on the other a bird perched on a branch
of blossoming apricot – in each case accompanied by a spray of bamboo.

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