Page 24 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

Fig.1 Maria Sibylla Merian, Metamorphosis Insectorum
Surinamensium, Amsterdam, 1705, pl. 9.
圖一 瑪麗亞．西碧拉．梅里安，《蘇利南昆蟲變態圖譜》，
阿姆斯特丹，1705年，圖版9

This majestic, superbly enamelled pair of vases, with its sumptuous depiction of butterflies
and flowers in radiant colours on a rarely used bright pink ground, is archetypical of 此對洋彩瓶紋飾秀麗，施明豔粉地，繪蝶舞
yangcai porcelains that were produced for a very short period by the imperial kilns 花間，繽紛絢爛，美不勝收。景德鎮御窰廠
at Jingdezhen for the Qianlong Emperor. They are characterized by the phenomenal 燒洋彩瓷以獻乾隆，開窰時間甚短，成器稀
opulence of their decoration as well as the rich spectrum of their enamels and were 貴，粉地尤為難得。洋彩瓷紋飾華美，用色
斑斕，乃清宮瓷器最高品級之一。洋彩瓶產
amongst the most prized types of porcelain at the Qing court. Yangcai vases were made
量疏少，依式樣或出孤品或作一對。除台北
in very small quantities altogether and of each design, usually only a single piece or a pair
故宮館藏外，傳世洋彩瓶成對者寥若晨星，
was made. It is exceedingly rare to find a matching pair of such vases to have survived and
器形魁碩如此對者更可遇不可求。
to remain united outside the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, and the
present pieces are among the largest specimens preserved. 「洋彩」之稱初見於雍正十三年（1735年）
，由景德鎮御窰廠督陶官唐英（1682-1756
The term yangcai (‘foreign colours’) was first mentioned in the final year of the Yongzheng 年）定名。《陶務敘略碑記》中，唐英寫
reign (1735) by the renowned supervisor of the Jingdezhen imperial workshops Tang Ying 道：「洋彩器皿，本朝新仿西洋琺瑯畫法，
人物、山水、花卉、翎毛無不精細入神。」
(1682-1756). In his work Tao wu xu lue bei ji [Records of narrated summaries of porcelain
乾隆八年（1743年），唐英又撰《陶冶圖
matters], Tang states ‘Yangcai vessels [are made with the use of] an enamelling technique
冊》，就洋彩設色，再釋：「圓琢白器，五
new in this reign, borrowing from Western painting methods. [Amongst the paintings of] 彩繪畫。摹仿西洋，故曰洋彩。須選素習繪
figures, landscapes, flowers and plumage, there are none that are not fine and enthralling'. 事高手，將各種顏料研細調和，以白瓷片畫
About the application of the yangcai palette, Tang writes in his other work Tao ye tuce 染燒試，必熟諳顏料火候之性，始可由粗及
[Illustrated Album of Pottery], written in the 8th year of the Qianlong reign (1743), that 細，熟中生巧，總以眼明心細手准為佳。」
‘round, white-bodied vessels painted in multiple colours and in a style imitating the West （見廖寶秀，《華麗彩瓷：乾隆洋彩》，國
are therefore called yangcai. [We] need to select experienced master painters; finely grind 立故宮博物院，台北，2008年，頁14）。
and properly mix each type of colour; do trials by painting, colouring and firing slabs of
如唐英所言，洋彩源自西洋工匠，康熙一朝
white porcelain; thoroughly understand the properties of the colours and firing, before we （1662-1722年）已傳入宮。較於往昔釉
can paint from coarse work to fine, and polish the skills from constant practice; a good eye, 彩，洋彩更顯柔麗纖巧。洋匠用彩前所未
attentive mind, and exact hand are required to attain excellence’ (Liao Pao Show, Stunning 有，令繪瓷配色推陳出新，畫片圖樣亦別開
Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, 生面，題材多為歐洲時興。恰如此對，花蝶
p. 14). 佈局疏落有致，非中國紋飾傳統構圖，設色
善用光影明暗，三維視效躍然眼前。

彩蝶成群，翩然飛舞，花卉繁多，有牡丹、
木蘭、桃花、梅枝，及蓮、菊、蘭、竹等，
狀貌生動寫實，應汲取自歐洲繪本，如瑪麗
亞・西碧拉・梅里安（1647-1717年）之
妙筆；瑞士博物學家梅里安生於德國，畢生
鑽研植物、昆蟲，尤通曉蝴蝶，並出版手
繪，刻畫入微，梅里安逝後，其女繼承遺
46 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II