Page 16 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

Tang Ying, who had worked at the palace in Beijing himself, was clearly aware of the latest
trends in the capital and made sure that Jingdezhen’s porcelain painters adapted their 與此瓶接近之例僅一，卻未能配對，由
repertoire. These used foreign models as inspiration, but turned them into their own Laurent Héliot 及 Jack Chia 遞藏，1988
independent, idiosyncratic style – a style that became one of the characteristics of yangcai 年5月17日售於香港蘇富比 ，編號116（圖
porcelain. 一），現屬香港私人珍藏。論器形、紋樣、
尺寸，兩瓶十分近似，唯獨前者頸下飾有凸
棱，繪畫也有細微分別。二瓶之一，或正乃
There exists only one very similar vase, but not the exact pair to the present piece,
乾隆八年進宮雛例，另一則疑屬後來奉旨燒
formerly in the collections of Laurent Héliot and Jack Chia and now in a private Hong Kong
造的對瓶。
collection, sold in these rooms, 17th May, 1988, lot 116 (fig. 1). That vase is very similar in
shape, design and size, but has an additional raised rib below the neck, and the two show 台北故宮藏洋彩黃地對瓶，器形、結構、
very minor differences in the painted decoration. One of these vases might represent the 飾紋均與此相近，但瓶身更矮（高19.5公
first piece delivered in 1743, the other may have been made as a pair to it, but later, after 分），乾隆九年（1744年）清宮檔案有
錄。其中一瓶曾展於《乾隆皇帝的文化大
the Emperor had asked for this.
業》，台北，2002年，編號V-27，又見
於上文提及的洋彩展覽，見廖寶秀，前述出
A pair of much smaller yangcai vases (19.5 cm tall) of very similar overall form,
處，編號73，成對照片則見於頁272，編號
construction and decoration but on a yellow ground is in the National Palace Museum,
62（圖二）。筆者詳述此類瓷瓶的複雜工
Taipei. It is recorded in the palace archives of 1744. One of them was included in the 藝、結構及裝飾技巧，解䆁必須分開四層
Museum’s exhibition Qianlong huangdi de wenhua daye/Emperor Ch’ien-lung’s Grand 製作，器頸與內瓶結榫套合，配上器腹與
Cultural Enterprise, Taipei, 2002, cat. no. V-27; and again in the exhibition of yangcai wares, 底座便成轉旋瓶，正如此器，內瓶繪青花蓮
see Liao Pao Show, op.cit., cat. no. 73, where both are illustrated together, p. 272, no. 62 紋，從鏤空隙間透現。廖寶秀道：「如此巧
(fig. 2). Liao explains the complex workmanship, structure and decoration techniques of 妙的套合原理，不僅展示高超的製作技術，
亦有贊頌乾隆盛世，天地上下交通，國泰民
these vases, which are composed of four sections: an inner vase, which is connected to
安之意。」
the overhanging collar, and two detached parts for upper and lower sections of the outer
walls. The inner vase is painted – like on the present piece – with underglaze-blue lotus. 參考一洋彩紫紅地錦上添花纏枝番蓮紋轎
She writes “Ingenious designs such as the one in the example here were made to laud the 瓶，同採梨式，卻沒鏤空，據載製於乾隆六
prosperity and peace of the empire during the height of the Ch’ien-lung [Qianlong] reign”. 年（1741年），可視為此瓶雛形（圖三）
。對照兩器雙耳，比例上後者較短，或因分
An immediate predecessor of this vase can be seen in a yangcai wall vase without any 層燒造之故，圖見廖寶秀，《典雅富麗：故
宮藏瓷》，國立故宮博物院，台北，2014
openwork, recorded to have been made in the 6th year of Qianlong, 1741, which is of
年，頁163，圖30。
similar pear-shaped form and decorated with similar Western-style flower scrolls on a ruby
ground, but its handles continue further down the body (fig. 3). This had to be modified for 此瓶原屬艾弗瑞．莫里森（1821-97年）
the present shape where the neck is constructed as a separate part; see Liao Baoxiu [Liao 寶蓄，藏英倫西南部威爾特郡大宅放山居（
Pao Show], Dian ya fu li. Gugong cang ci [Elegant and sumptious. Porcelains collected by 圖四），來源出眾，在中國藝壇中鮮見。莫
the Palace], National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, p. 163, fig. 30. 里森所藏甚豐，除中國御器珍品外，尚有西
方歷史文檔、繪畫、雕塑等。1861年，他
從洛赫勛爵（1827-1900年）手中買下一
The present vase has one of the most illustrious provenances for Chinese works of art, as
批中國琺瑯及瓷器，這瓶或為其一，然此
it comes from the ‘Fonthill heirlooms’ of Alfred Morrison (1821-1897) of Fonthill House in
前他早已有中國瓷器入藏，爾後也未見竭
Wiltshire in the southwest of England (fig. 4). Morrison’s outstanding collection comprised
止。1971年，吳權博士在佳士得莫里森專
not only superb Chinese imperial works of art but also Western historical documents, 場中購下此瓶，往後續於吳家傳承，至今已
paintings, sculptures and other works. In 1861, he bought a substantial group of Chinese 逾半世紀。
porcelains and enamel wares from Baron Loch of Drylaw (1827-1900), to which this vase
may have belonged, but he had added Chinese porcelains to his collection already prior
to this major purchase and continued to do so afterwards. Dr Wou Kiuan purchased the
vase at Christie’s sale of the Morrison collection in 1971, after which it remained in the Wou
family for over half a century.

30 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG 31