Page 222 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong Sotheby's April 2017

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A CARVED IVORY FIGURE OF A KNEELING 十七世紀 象牙雕半蹲胡人像
FOREIGNER
17TH CENTURY 在十七世紀，福建漳州為國內及歐洲市場雕造了大量的牙
雕品，此胡人像極有可能為其中的一件作品。此胡人圓
sensitively carved as a smiling foreigner in a split stance 臉、頭髮捲曲、胡服束帶，與 H.R. Norton、 Frederick
with both arms held upwards and his palms facing the back, Mayer 和 Rafi Y. Mottahedeh 夫人舊藏的一對荷蘭商人
depicted dressed in robes with a knot tied loosely at the front, 像相似。該對雕像曾數度現身拍場，最近一次在紐約蘇富
adorned with bracelets, hoop earrings and a circlet over his 比2000年10月19日，編號454。並著錄於 David Howard
black curly hair 和 John Ayers，《China for the West》， 卷2，倫
9 cm, 3½ in. 敦，1978年，圖版 684。書中筆者認為胡人特別的行為態
度，可滿足漢人之好奇心，並非為出口市場而作（頁660
◉ HK$ 400,000-600,000 ）。該對胡人曾展出於東方陶瓷學會展覽，見《Chinese
US$ 52,000-77,500 Ivories from the Shang to the Qing》，大英博物館，倫
敦，1984年，編號134，展覽目錄中提到此對胡人身上的
This finely carved figure is likely to have been produced in 裝束正是十七世紀下半葉荷蘭、法國和英國流行的時髦
Zhangzhou, Fujian province, where a large number of ivories 服裝。
was created for both the domestic and European markets
from the 17th century. The present figure, with its round face, 此胡人半跪，雙手高舉，應受人形底座啟發而作。可作比
curly hair and belted tunic, bears resemblance to a pair of 較的半跪胡人像，其一手高舉，另一手垂放於膝，於紐約
ivory Dutch merchant figures, from the collections of H.R. 蘇富比1982年2月26日拍賣，編號258，香港佳士得1996
Norton, Frederick Mayer and Mrs Rafi Y. Mottahedeh, sold 年4月28日再次拍賣，編號539。另一件半跪童子為美國
several times at auction, most recently in our New York rooms, 克里夫蘭美術館藏，曾展出於《Severance and Greta
19th October 2000, lot 454. They were also included in David Millikin Collection》， 克里夫蘭，1990年，編號171。一
Howard and John Ayers’ work, China for the West, vol. II, 件掐絲琺瑯爐，下承胡人足，為北京故宮博物院所藏，見
London, 1978, pl. 684, where the authors suggest that “these 《中國美術全集．金銀玻璃琺瑯器》，卷10，北京，1987
representations of Westerners in uncharacteristic attitudes 年，圖版310。
were surely to satisfy the curiosity of Chinese patrons and not
for the export market” (p. 660). These Dutch figures were also
included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Chinese
Ivories from the Shang to the Qing, British Museum, London,
1984, cat. no. 134, where it is noted that their clothing was
particularly fashionable in Holland, France and England in the
second half of the 17th century.

The pose of the present figure, standing in a split stance with
arms raised, suggests it may have been inspired by figural
supports. Compare an ivory carving of a kneeling foreigner
with one hand raised and the other resting on his knee, sold in
our New York rooms, 26th February 1982, lot 258, and again
at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28th April 1996, lot 539; and another
of a kneeling Chinese boy, in the collection of the Cleveland
Museum of Art, Cleveland, included in the Museum’s exhibition
Catalogue of the Severance and Greta Millikin Collection,
Cleveland, 1990, cat. no. 171. See also a cloisonné enamel
basin supported by figures, in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
illustrated in the Complete Collection of Chinese Art. Gold,
Silver, Glass and Enamels, vol. 10, Beijing, 1987, pl. 310.

220 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比