Page 210 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

This pair of vases is amongst the most inventive vessels 本器是景德鎮御窰燒厰燒製最富創造力器物之一，雖為孤
produced in the imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. 品，但與乾隆皇帝的宗教信仰以及當朝所製具有藏傳佛教
Although unique, they are related to other imperial Qianlong 風格的瓷器、藝術品有密不可分的關係。乾隆皇帝信奉
porcelain and works of art in various aspects and reflect his 藏傳佛教，並熱心參與藏傳佛教風格瓷器製作，在他一
enthusiastic patronage of Tibetan Buddhism and the arts. 朝，御窰燒製藏傳佛教風格瓷器無數，且精美之極，冠
絕一世。
In form, these vases appear to derive from Tibetan Buddhist
altar vases, such as the jewelled silver benja pot made for 此器樣式應仿藏式金屬法器，如故宮藏一銀鏨花賁巴壺，
use in one of the Buddhist chapels in the Forbidden City, 即為宮中佛堂所用之法器，圖刊於《清宮藏傳佛教文物》
illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in ，北京，1992年，圖版146，然本器器形更為繁複。
the Qing Palace, Beijing, 1992, pl. 146 (partly concealed by its
pleated silk wrapping). While the present vases have a more 本器也從彩瓷品中得靈感，這也是它們的獨特之處。金屬
complicated silhouette, they follow the globular body and 材質缺乏柔性，在設計樣式上有所規限，然瓷器塑造性
multiple sections of the tall neck of the originals. 高，通過窰匠超卓技藝，能燒造出較為複雜的器形。此器
器口，與始燒於康熙朝琺瑯彩蓮花盌如出一撤，見清宮
These vases also draw inspiration from painted enamel wares 舊藏例，錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系．琺瑯器編》，卷5
which reveal their uniqueness. Complex forms that had ，北京，2011年，圖版25。一帶乾隆年款琺瑯彩蓮花蓋
previously been limited to metal wares, due to the flexibility 盌，曾展於《清代康雍乾官窰瓷器．望星樓藏瓷》，明尼
of the material and level of painted enamel production 阿波利斯藝術學院，明尼阿波利斯，2004年，編號59。
attained, could now find porcelain counterparts through the
developments in porcelain technology. Crisply shaped and 描金口及亮麗釉彩同見於琺瑯器，器腹天青地上飾夔龍
painted lotus flower bowls similar to those surmounting these 紋，以描金勾勒輪廓，高雅柔和，與口部明亮粉及黃色形
vases were first produced in painted enamel from the Kangxi 成强力對比。北京故宮博物院藏一釉色相仿夔龍供壽紋大
period (1664-1722), such as one in the Palace Museum, 瓶，錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系．琺瑯器編》，卷5，北
Beijing, published in The Compendium of Collections in the 京，2011年，圖版203。
Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 5, Painted Enamels in the Qing
Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 25. A similarly vibrant porcelain lotus 帶藍料款及器形複雜之器物，被認為是乾隆朝晚期作品。
flower bowl with cover, with Qianlong mark and of the period, 見林業強，〈Towards a Dating Framework for Qianlong
was included in the exhibition Imperial Perfection. The Palace Imperial Porcelain〉，《東方瓷器學會彙刊》，卷74
Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, op.cit., cat. no. 59. ，2009-10年，頁1-33，筆者認為器底書六字款者，應為
乾隆五十年（1785年）後所製。六字藍料款甚為罕見，林
The gilt-painted rims and colourful palette of the present vases 業強認為器底施松石綠釉，書四字藍料款者，應仿琺瑯器
also resemble that found on painted enamel. The lavender- 而作。雖然乾隆皇帝在登基後第二年（1737年）已下旨統
blue of the kui dragon provides an elegant contrast with the 一落款樣式，但仍有料款試驗樣品的存在。
remarkably-well preserved gilt outlines, the subdued tone of
which is juxtaposed with the bright yellow and pinks of the
neck and mouth. A large vase bearing a related geometric
archaistic scrolling kui dragon surrounding a central shou
character in a similar blue and lavender to the present vases, in
the Palace Museum, Beijing, is published in The Compendium
of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 5: Painted
Enamels in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 203.

The combination of numerous design schemes and the
idiosyncratic form of these vases, together with the style of the
blue enamel seal mark, point to a later date of manufacture
during the long reign of the Qianlong Emperor. According
to Peter Lam in ‘Towards a Dating Framework for Qianlong
Imperial Porcelain’, Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic
Society, vol. 74, 2009-2010, pp. 1-33, the six-character seal
mark on the base suggests it was created after 1785. It is
exceptionally rare to find six-character seal marks in blue
enamel, and Lam suggests that four-character blue enamel
marks on turquoise bases were Jingdezhen copies of falangcai
overglaze blue marks. This suggests that although the emperor
gave and edict stating all seal marks should be standardised in
the second year of his reign (in accordance with 1737), there
was still a certain level of experimentation with enamels used
for reign marks.

208 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比