Page 12 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

HEAVEN AND EARTH INTERTWINED

REGINA KRAHL

天地交泰蘊乾坤

康蕊君

t would be hard to find a porcelain vessel that can better embody the artistry and
欲尋一器以總結乾隆帝的藝術美學觀念，兼
aesthetics fostered by the Qianlong Emperor and the peak of craftsmanship at the
展示當時江西景德鎮御窰的工精技絕，難
Iimperial kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. In its outstanding technical intricacy,
矣。然此瓶，巧奪天工，鏤雕、交泰、轉旋
combining reticulated, interlocking and revolving features, its auspicious design with
集匯一身，以中國禎祥紋樣，搭襯西方巴洛
Chinese symbolism and Western baroque features, and its rich and superbly balanced 克風圖案，且配色艷麗，紫紅明黃妙相合，
colour scheme and brocade-style ground, this ceramic work of art is of a sophistication 隙地錐剔鳳尾卷草錦紋，誠鬼斧神工，超前
that has never been surpassed. Even this most demanding of patrons, the connoisseur 絕後。乾隆帝（1736-95年間在位）善鑑
Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-95), who was hard to please, could not have wished for more. 好藏，要求嚴格謹慎之處，無出其右，一
Court archives show that this vase must have been made either in 1743 or immediately 般難以取悅，然接獲如此巧製佳瓷，也是
無可挑剔了。據清宮檔案，此瓶當是乾隆八
thereafter, at a period when the Emperor was in his prime and the imperial manufactories
年（1743年）或即後數年燒成，時皇權正
achieved their greatest triumphs.
盛，御窰發展更是攀峰登極。
It was only two years before, in the 6th year of Qianlong, 1741, that the Emperor had 唐英（1682-1756年）可謂御窰史上最富
reprimanded Tang Ying (1682-1756), the most inventive and capable supervisor the 創思巧藝的督陶官，然才不過兩年之前，
imperial kilns ever had, for low quality and breakages in porcelains sent to the court. 即乾隆六年（1741年），皇上訓斥他監理
Since Tang was largely stationed elsewhere, in Huaian and later in Jiujiang, also in Jiangxi, 不力，「傳旨唐英燒造上色之磁器甚糙、
to follow his other duties as customs official, a resident manager, Laoge, was appointed 釉不好，磁器內亦有破的」。當時唐英雖
駐江西，但先後長守淮安、九江，主職關
to directly supervise the work at Jingdezhen and to assure consistent high quality.
務，難以兼顧窰事，遂指派副手老格在景
德鎮直接打點陶務，確保御瓷品質。激怒
龍顏定必讓唐英及其他陶人寢食難安，是
以未敢就此掉以輕心，煞費心神，誓要推
陳出新、將功補過。廖寶秀指，景德鎮製供
御洋彩瓷器，卓越超凡，主要製作於乾隆六
至九年間（1741-44年），而七年（1742
年）當是重要的轉捩點；詳見廖寶秀，《華
麗彩瓷：乾隆洋彩》，國立故宮博物院，台
北，2008年，頁27，英譯見頁39。雖只數
年，窰廠卻見證了瓷藝技術前所未有的躍
進，後世難以企及。

Fig.1 An imperial ruby-ground yangcai 'trigrams' reticulated vase, seal mark and period
of Qianlong, formerly in the collections of Laurent Héliot and Jack Chia, Sotheby's Hong
Kong, 17th May 1988, lot 116
圖一 清乾隆 御製洋彩紫紅錦地乾坤交泰轉旋瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款
Laurent Héliot 及 Jack Chia 舊藏 香港蘇富比1988年5月17日，編號116

22 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG 23