Page 122 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

Such moon flasks were clearly to the taste of the Chinese elite, but it is 而這些作品亦是本拍品的藍本。十五世紀初的抱月瓶風格獨
interesting to see an identical flask depicted in a painting from Herat, dated 樹一幟，一例見於大維德中國藝術館藏，圖見蘇玫瑰《Imperial
to AD 1488 (see fig. 1, detail from a Bustan of Sa’di copied by Sultan-Alial- Taste - Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation》，
Katib for Sultan-Husayn Mirza, Herat, dated to the equivalent of June AD 倫敦，1989 年，59 頁，編號 30，另一例為台北國立故宮珍藏。
1488). This would suggest that such pieces were also appreciated by the 抱月瓶體扁圓，橢圓底略凹為足。圓直頸，頸側如意耳與器
Near Eastern courts, and it seems possible that the flask in the painting 肩相連，飾古樸的卷草紋。瓶頸前後均繪竹枝，肩與足脛各
may have come to Herat (then an important Timurid trading centre; now 飾一道別出心裁的仿古雲紋。瓶腹一面繪鳥兒棲於盛放的梅
in modern day Afghanistan) as a diplomatic gift in the Yongle reign. 花枝頭，另一面則飾鳥兒與盛放的杏花，前後腹均襯以翠竹。
此類抱月瓶正符合當時中國菁英階級的審美趣味，更耐人尋
It is not surprising to find that the Yongzheng Emperor, perhaps the Qing 味的是，赫拉特現存一幅公元 1488 年的畫作中也有一例相同
dynasty emperor with the most refined tastes should appreciate the style 的瓷瓶，圖見 Sultan-Alial-Katib 於公元 1488 年 6 月以薩迪《果
of these early 15th century bird and flower flasks, and several versions of 園》詩集為題材創作的《蘇丹侯賽因宮廷宴客圖》( 細部見圖
the design appear on vessels from his reign. Two rare groups of these 一 )。由此可見，這類作品在近東宮廷亦大受歡迎，而畫中瓷
are particularly close to the 15th century aesthetic. A limited number of 瓶很可能是永樂年間流入赫拉特（當時為帖木兒商業重鎮，
small Yongzheng moon flasks have survived in collections, which are of 現位於阿富汗境內）的外交禮物。
approximately the same size as the 15th century examples, and, like them,
are decorated with a single bird on each side. One of these, formerly in 雍正帝品味之高或許是清代帝王之最，可想而知，他對這批
the collection of Richard de la Mare, was sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 十五世紀花鳥紋抱月瓶亦青睞有加，他在位期間更命人燒造
2011. An even smaller Yongzheng version of this type (approximately 22 多款花鳥紋瓷瓶。就此而言，最接近十五世紀審美標準的作
cm. high) is also known and an example was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong 品可分為兩大類。傳世品中有寥寥數件小巧的雍正抱月瓶，
in June 2015 (fig. 2). Both of these small versions of the style usually have 其器型與十五世紀抱月瓶相若，前後腹亦各飾一隻小鳥，
flared mouths and do not normally bear reign marks. The current moon 其中一例為德拉梅爾舊藏（Richard de la Mare)，2011 年經
flask belongs to the second, and even rarer, group of Yongzheng bird and 香港蘇富比拍出。另外尚有一款更小巧的作品（高約 22 厘
flower flasks, which are usually approximately 37 cm. high, have columnar 米 )，香港佳士得曾於 2015 年 6 月拍出一例（圖二）。這兩
necks. One of these in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing 款小巧的抱月瓶通常瓶口外撇，且大多不帶年款。以本拍品
is illustrated in Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), The 為例的第二類作品更為珍罕，它們通常高約 37 厘米，配圓
Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, 36, Hong Kong, 直頸。北京故宮珍藏一例，圖見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全
2000, p. 111, no. 97 (fig. 3), while another was sold by Christie’s Hong 集：青花釉裏紅（下）》，第 36 冊，香港，2000 年，111 頁，
Kong from the collection of Robert Chang in November 1999. While the 編號 97（圖三），另一例為張宗憲先生舊藏，1999 年 11 月
flask in the Palace Collection bears a similar mark to the one on the base 經香港佳士得拍出。故宮抱月瓶的年款與本拍品瓶底所見類
of the current flask, the vessel sold in 1999 appears to have had its mark 似，而 1999 年拍出瓷瓶的年款基本上已磨蝕殆盡。
largely erased.
在裝飾類似本拍品的較大雍正抱月瓶時，畫瓷師基本上保留
While retaining the general design of the early 15th century moon 了十五世紀初及十八世紀較小作品的紋飾格局，與此同時也
flasks and the smaller 18th century examples, the decorators of the larger 充份利用其較寬廣的「畫布」，將前後瓶腹的紋飾題材增至
Yongzheng moon flasks, of the current type, took advantage of their more 雙鳥。就中國紋飾而言，人們常視梅枝上的黑白小鳥為喜鵲；
extensive ‘canvas’ and further developed the design to include two birds on 但在布克菲（Philip Brakefield）的協助下，我們終於確定立
each side of the vessel. While it is often assumed that in Chinese designs 於本瓶梅枝上的並非喜鵲，而是鵲鴝（Copsychus saularis)。
all apparently black and white birds on plum trees are magpies 喜鵲 xique, 這種燕雀類小鳥，先前被劃歸為畫眉科的成員。此鳥因啼聲
with the help of Philip Brakefield, it has been possible to identify the birds 婉轉而為人所喜，曾是極為常見的籠養鳥。至於杏樹上的鳥
on the branches of the blossoming plum on the current flask as Oriental 兒，人們往往稱之為中華「白頭翁」，但該鳥喉部為白色，
magpie-robins (Copsychus saularis), rather than magpies. These are small 而本拍品的鳥兒卻只有白色冠羽和胸羽。
passerine birds, and were formerly classed as members of the thrush family.
They are much admired for their song, and in former times were popularly 本拍品前後瓶腹枝上的鳥兒均殷殷對望，而杏枝梢頭位於左
kept as caged songbirds. It is tempting to identify the birds on the apricot 方的鳥兒則回首顧視同伴。這些鳥兒的構圖方式與北宋繪畫
tree as bulbuls of the type known in China as 白頭翁 baitou weng (hoary- 一脈相承，前述徽宗的花鳥冊頁便是最佳證明。綜而觀之，
headed old man), but that type of bulbul has a white throat, and the birds 本拍品的紋飾格局要比十五世紀初的版本複雜，但其畫工仍
on the flask only have white caps and white breasts. 無比嚴謹細膩。與此同時，疏影橫斜的虯枝與嬌美的梅花對
比鮮明，而葉繁枝柔的杏樹也與飽滿嫵媚的杏花相映成趣，
The birds on both sides of the moon flask face each other in counterpoise 筆法意趣均深得丹青之妙。
across the branches, although in the case of the birds on the blossoming
apricot, the bird on the left turns its head backwards in order to look at
its companion. This positioning of the birds harks back to the paintings
of the Northern Song dynasty, as exemplified by the album of Emperor
Huizong discussed above. The result is a design of somewhat greater
complexity than the early 15th century version, but one which is executed
with refinement and artistry. In addition, the contrast between the bare,
gnarled branches of the plum tree with its delicate blossoms and the softer,
leafy branches of the apricot tree with its more rounded flowers has been
achieved with consummate painterly skill.

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