Page 25 - Sotheby's Dr. Wou Kiuan Collection CHINESE ART , Oct. 9, 2022

As stated by Tang Ying, yangcai is a technique indebted to European craftsmen who had
come to the court since at least the Kangxi reign (1662-1722). The colours have noticeably 志，將畫集完善。1705年，《蘇里南昆蟲
more delicate pastel tones than the conventional palette in use prior to that time. 變態圖譜》問世，梅里安聲名鵲起，其中有
The foreigners brought not only new enamels, which fundamentally changed the colour 圖繪蝴蝶花果，纖毫盡現（圖一）。
scheme of porcelain decoration, but also introduced designs and decorative elements that
瓷器繪蝴蝶由來已久，可溯至明永樂朝
were en vogue in contemporary Europe. The loose arrangement of butterflies and flowers
（1403-24年）或更早，如一青花玉壺春
is untypical of the traditional Chinese decorative repertoire. As can be seen on the present
瓶，兩側各繪蝴蝶一隻，振翅於萱花之上，
pair of vases, the use of light and shade was also employed to create an illusion of three- 藏台北故宮博物院（編號：故瓷14975）
dimensionality. 。成化年間（1465-1487年），花蝶紋始
作彩繪，可見鬪彩小罐繪花枝彩蝶，如一
Displaying a great variety of butterflies in flight among a multitude of flowers, 例，大維德中國藝術基金會收藏，現存倫
including peonies, magnolia sprays, peach blossoms, prunus branches, lotus flowers, 敦大英博物館（編號PDF.797）。直到清
代（1644-1911年），新式彩料與格調自
chrysanthemums, orchids and bamboo, the naturalistic design may have been inspired
歐洲傳入，花蝶紋乃開寫實之風，可比一
by European publications, such as the scientific illustrations of the German-born Swiss
粉彩團蝶紋盌，雍正年款，亦存倫敦大英博
naturalist and botanical artist Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), who studied plants and
物館（編號1936,0413.26）。乾隆朝，花
animals, and in particular butterflies, and published detailed drawings of them – a work 蝶紋更加風靡，有蝶戀花紋飾與此對頗似，
that her daughters continued after her death. See a famous book she first published in 如葫蘆瓶一例，袁氏舊藏，錄入《歷代文物
1705 on insects in Surinam, Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium, with meticulous 萃珍：敏求精舍三十週年紀念展》，香港藝
depictions of butterflies among flowers and fruits (fig. 1). 術館，香港，1990至1991年，編號166。
花蝶並置悅目娛心且涵義豐富，常作雙關，
Butterflies appeared occasionally on porcelains already much earlier, at least since
帶喜樂、長壽、富貴、德望等吉祥寓意。漢
the Yongle reign (1403-24) of the previous dynasty, as evidenced by a blue-and-white
語中，「蝶」與「疊」同音，更頌福願疊
yuhuchun ping (pear-shaped bottle vase), depicting on each side a butterfly hovering 至。
above a day lily, preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession no. gu-
ci-14975). By the Chenghua reign (1465-87), the design began to be painted in colours, 可比一瓶，同繪蝶戀花，尺寸相近，獨不成
as can be seen on some small doucai jars with butterflies between flower sprays, such as 對，粉地軋道，初亦為洛赫勛爵及艾弗瑞・
莫里森遞藏，後由戴潤齋雅蓄，載詹甯斯，
one from the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art and now in the British Museum,
《Later Chinese Porcelain: The Ch’ing
London (accession no. PDF.797). It was not until the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), with the
Dynasty (1644-1912)》，倫敦，1951
introduction of new palettes and styles brought over from Europe, that the motif began
年，圖版CVI，圖2，曾兩度售於佳士得，
to be rendered in a naturalistic manner. See one of the ‘butterfly bowls’ of Yongzheng 先倫敦，1971年10月18日，編號65，後
(1723-35) mark and period, painted in the famille rose palette with medallions formed 香港，2008年12月3日，編號2388。台北
by butterflies and flowers, preserved also in the British Museum, London (accession no. 故宮藏洋彩瓶若干，但無一尺寸堪比此對。
1936,0413.26). During the Qianlong reign, the motif became more popular. Butterflies and 北京故宮另藏一例，紋飾、設色皆相近，然
flowers very similar to those on the present vase can be seen, for example, on handled 作方瓶，帶雙龍耳（編號：故154715）。
除上述例，洋彩瓷地鮮用粉紅。
double-gourd vases, such as one formerly in the Yuen Family Collection, included in
Selected Treasures of Chinese Art: Min Chiu Society Thirtieth Anniversary Exhibition, Hong
兩對胭脂紅地洋彩小瓶亦飾蝶戀花，一對藏
Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1990-1, cat. no. 166. 台北故宮（故瓷7373及故瓷7374），錄於
廖寶秀，出處同前，2008年，編號22及頁
Combinations of butterflies and flowers are not only pleasing motifs, but also replete with 279，圖116；另一對藏日內瓦鮑氏東方藝
meaning, often forming auspicious rebuses to convey happiness, long life, riches, merit 術館（編號CB.CC.1930.626），錄於約
and other good wishes. While the Chinese pronunciation for butterfly ‘die’ is homophonous 翰．艾爾斯，《Chinese Ceramics in The
Baur Collection》，卷2，日內瓦，1999
with the word ‘die’ meaning 'to duplicate', it can be used to double the auspicious wishes
年，圖版236-7。據廖寶秀研究，此兩對
expressed by other designs.
洋彩瓶乃於乾隆六年及七年進貢紫禁城乾清
宮，《造辦處活計當》有載。
花蝶紋亦見一胭脂紅地洋彩瓶，George
Salting 寶蓄，藏倫敦維多利亞與艾爾伯特
博物館（編號C.1461-1910），展於《盛
世華章》，皇家藝術學院，倫敦，2005-
06年，編號219；及一藍地洋彩瓶，藏北
京故宮（編號：故154599），錄於《故宮
博物院藏文物珍品全集・琺瑯彩・粉彩》
，香港，1999年，圖版30。
48 A JOURNEY THROUGH CHINA’S HISTORY THE DR WOU KIUAN COLLECTION PART II