Page 21 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

This magnificent vase with its superbly proportioned archaistic form and vivid green-
and-yellow nine-dragon design is one of the characteristic inventive creations of the 本品器形古雅，細膩刻繪九龍，新穎設計乃
Yongzheng period. It is not only remarkable for its intricately incised dragon design, but 雍正年之獨特始創。其顔彩明豔清朗，極為
also extremely unusual for the use of this striking, contrasting colour scheme. Although 罕見。景德鎮之黃地綠彩瓷器雖可追溯到明
the combination of green and yellow enamels on Jingdezhen porcelain dates back to 初（1368-1644年）永樂一朝（1403-24
年），惟此配色多常見於盤盌，瓶子等立器
the Yongle period (1403-24) in the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644), this colour scheme
作例則甚為稀少。北京故宮藏一雙龍盌，乏
is more commonly found on bowls and dishes but rarely on upright forms. Compare a
浪紋，收錄於《故宮博物館藏清代御窰瓷
bowl with two dragons and lacking the crashing waves, preserved in the Palace Museum,
器》，卷1（下），北京，2005年，圖版7
Beijing, illustrated in Gugong Bowuyuan cang: Qingdai yuyao ciqi / Qing Porcelains from the 。「九」與「久」諧音，五爪龍則象徵皇帝
Imperial Kilns Preserved in the Palace Museum, vol. 1, part 2, Beijing, 2005, pl. 7. In China, 的權力, 「九龍」因而意寓國祚長久。
the number nine (jiu) is the homonym for the word 'eternity' and the five-clawed dragon is
the symbol of the emperor’s power, thus the motif of 'nine dragons' represents the wish for 此瓶傚擬上古青銅壺，腳部穿孔，原型用
於奉先祀祖之禮。參見一西周初青銅壺
an everlasting rule.
（約公元前1046-771年），載於彭卿雲
編，《中國文物精華大辭典：青銅卷》，
The form of this vase is closely copying archaic bronze vessels hu, which were originally
上海，1995年，編號0464，0465及0467
created as ritual wine containers for ancestral ceremonies, even down to the pierced slots 。宋朝（960-1279年）起摹燒相類器皿，
at the foot below the handles. See, for example, bronze hu of this form from the mid- 部份用於「投壺」遊戲，玩家向壺口或貫耳
Western Zhou period (c. 1046-771 BC) illustrated in Peng Qingyun, ed., Zhongguo wenwu 投箭，亦用作裝飾文房之花瓶。見一稍矮
jinghua da cidian: Qingtong juan / Encyclopaedia of Masterpieces of Chinese Cultural 龍泉青釉例，元朝（1279-1368年）製，
Relics: Bronze volume, Shanghai, 1995, nos 0464, 0465 and 0467. Such vessels were later 北京故宮博物院蓄，錄於《天下龍泉：龍
泉青瓷與全球化》，卷一：千年龍泉，北
recreated from around the Song dynasty (960-1279). While some were used for the touhu,
京，2019年，圖板66。
‘pitch-pot’, game where players had to throw arrows into the mouth or tubular handles of
the vessel, others were used as flower vases to decorate the scholar’s studio, such as a 此瓶或獨一無二。北京故宮博物院收藏兩
slightly shorter Longquan celadon vase from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), of related form 黃地綠彩例，但大小略有不同：一署「大
but with a wider mouth and smaller handles, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 清雍正年製」款例，無腳部穿孔或貫耳，
illustrated in Longquan of the World. Longquan Celadon and Globalization, vol. 1: A History of 帶花雲紋，及一「大清乾隆年製」款龍紋
Thousands of Years, Beijing, 2019, pl. 66. 例；參見《故宮珍藏康雍乾瓷器圖錄》，
香港，1989年，頁236，圖版65及頁442
，圖版124。一與後者同式之瓶，售於紐約
While this vase appears to be unique, two related yellow-and-green vases are in the Palace
佳士得2008年9月17日，編號480。另一
Museum, Beijing, from the Qing court collection, both of somewhat different proportions,
雍正粉彩珊瑚紅地瓶，造型及尺寸和本品相
one of Yongzheng mark and period but without handles or pierced slots and decorated 似，帶牡丹紋，同藏於北京故宮博物院，載
with a flower-and-cloud design, the other with incised Qianlong mark and of the period, 於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．琺瑯彩．
with a single dragon; see Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong: Qing Porcelain from the Palace 粉彩》，香港，1999年，圖版77。
Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 236, pl. 65 and p. 442, pl. 124. A companion to the
Qianlong period vase was also sold at Christie’s New York, 17th September 2008, lot 480.
A Yongzheng (1723-35) vase of similar form and size to the present piece, but painted with
peonies in famille rose against a coral-red ground, is also in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelains with
Cloisonné Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 77.

40 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG 41