Page 31 - Chinese Art From Two American Collections, April 5, 2017 Hong Kong

The present vase is an extremely rare example from the 此青釉刻花瓶，出陝西耀州窰，存留至今，實屬罕珍。耀
Yaozhou kiln complex located in Shaanxi province. This kiln 州窰於宋朝時隸屬耀州，故稱。受啟於五代浙江北部越窰
group, named during the Song dynasty for the administrative 青瓷，耀州窰所產青瓷形美質優，於十一世紀晚期至十二
district in which the kilns were located, came into prominence 世紀初，為宋宮廷御用「貢瓷」，彰顯脫俗審美。雖仿越
for its striking green-glazed stoneware that appealed to the 窰，然耀州青瓷之燒製技藝、裝飾紋樣皆不拘一格，匠心
aristocratic taste of the Song period. They were inspired 獨運，不流於模仿。耀州瓷以批量燒製之盤、盌為大宗，
by the Yue celadon-glazed wares from northern Zhejiang 偶見單獨創燒、紋樣精美之珍品，破費工時人力，本品即
province from the Five Dynasties period (907-960) and began 屬後者。立件瓷器因塑形、裝飾耗時長，無法覆燒，遂窰
to be made for the Song court in the late 11th and early 12th 佔面積大，燒成難度極高，故而鮮有佳成，如此，本品愈
century. From the beginning, however, the Yaozhou craftsmen 顯難能可貴。
developed their own techniques and designs. Although the
majority of their output was devoted to the manufacture of 過往出版中，僅見二例可資比較：例一，器身亦刻飾相
dishes and bowls, they also created a small number of more 類平鋪六邊形，內綴花卉紋，屬 Michel Calmann 舊藏，
labour-intensive, carefully and individually crafted ceramics 現存巴黎吉美國立亞洲藝術博物館，展於東方陶瓷學會
such as the present piece. The kilns produced very few upright 《The Arts of the Song Dynasty》，倫敦，1960年，圖
shapes altogether, as they were much more time-consuming 版53，編號140，後再展於《如雪，如冰，如影：法國
to form and to decorate. They also took up much valuable kiln 居美美術館收藏中國陶瓷特展》，國立歷史博物館，台
space, and were more likely to fail in the firing. 北，1999年，編號22；例二，刻纏枝花卉紋，售於倫敦蘇
富比1982年6月15日，編號249。
Only two other Yaozhou vases of related form appear to have
been published, one similarly carved with floral sprays in 本品刻花紋飾精緻，佈局巧妙，與其優雅器形，完美釉
hexagonal cartouches, from the Michel Calmann Collection, 色互為襯托，相得益彰，實為耀州上品。Mary Tregear
in the Musée Guimet, Paris, included in the Oriental Ceramic 言，耀州窰與定窰窰工皆擅長以裝飾技藝表現器物之雅
Society exhibition The Arts of the Song Dynasty, London, 1960, 緻雋永。然耀州窰胎體色深，釉色青綠，故而刻花凹痕積
pl. 53, no. 140, and later included in the exhibition Terre de 釉處呈色較深，使得整體紋飾對比鮮明，呼之欲出（參見
Neige, de Glace et d’Ombre: Quatorze Siècles d’Histoire de la Mary Tregear，《Song Ceramics》，倫敦，1982年，
Céramique Chinoise à Travers les Collections du Musée Guimet 頁102）。
[Land of snow, ice and shadow: fourteen centuries of Chinese
ceramic history in the collection of the Musée Guimet], 裝飾手法與本品相似器，可見一刻花執壺例，列展《耀州
National History Museum, Taipei, 1999, cat. no. 22; the other, 瓷精品》，大阪市立東洋陶瓷美術館，大阪，1997年，
carved with a flower scroll, sold in our London rooms, 15th 編號73，此展同見一耀州窰罐例，編號74。東洋陶瓷美
June 1982, lot 249. 術館另貯一耀州窰小罐例，展於《耀州窰の青磁》，大
阪，1991年，編號15。此外，東京國立博物館亦存一耀州
The floral decoration found on this vase is elaborate yet 窰花口盌例，出版於《東京國立博物館圖版目錄．中國古
harmoniously arranged, typical of the best Yaozhou wares. The 陶瓷篇》，卷1，東京，1988年，圖版466。
motif is expertly designed and masterfully carved, showing off
the elegant shape of the vessel and the perfect celadon glaze.
Mary Tregear in Song Ceramics, London, 1982, p. 102, notes
that “the craftsmen at Yaozhou come close to the potters of
Ding ware in the elegant use of this decorative technique. The
Yaozhou potters had an added advantage in the contrast and
clarity given to the decoration by the darker body and rich
green glaze that took on an even deeper hue when it formed
pools in the V-shaped cuts (almost relief carving) on the pots.”

Vessels carved in a similar style, with large blooms and
feathery leaves, include a ewer exhibited in The Masterpieces
of Yaozhou Ware, The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka,
1997, cat. no. 73, together with a jar, cat. no. 74; a small jar,
also in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, included in
the Museum’s exhibition Celadon of Yaozhou Ware, Osaka,
1991, cat. no. 15; and a lobed bowl in the Tokyo National
Museum, Tokyo, published in Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo
National Museum. Chinese Ceramics I, Tokyo, 1988, pl. 466.

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