Page 9 - Chinese Ceramics the Linyushanren Collection Part 1 , Christie's

The Emperor reiterated his preference for these sepia
enamelled vessels again in the eighth month of the same year:

‘ Of all the works submitted for the Mid-Autumn Festival,
the enamelled dishes, bowls, tea bowls and wine cups are
all excellent. In the future, make more examples of those
painted in shuimo.’ 2

It is clear from these passages that the Yongzheng emperor was
very fond of sepia-enamelled vessels, no doubt for their close
resemblance to ink paintings. It is interesting to note that
painters such as Dai Heng and Tang Zhenji, who originally
worked at the Imperial painting atelier, were drafted to
paint enamels on porcelain. Records also show that specific
calligraphers were requested by the emperor to write the
poetic inscriptions on these vessels:

‘On the 17th day, the Minister of the Imperial Household,
Hai Wang, delivered a pair of white glazed bowls, together
with a decree that:

Over the greater half of the bowl should be painted with

green bamboos, and the lesser half should be inscribed by
Dai Lin, with poems eulogising the subject.’3

It is evident that what Yongzheng emperor had in mind to fig. 1 Layered ice-white silk. Ma Lin (ca. 1180-after 1256),
create was not an ordinary decorative piece, but a work of art Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)
combining the artistry of his best painters and calligraphers. Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing
This attention to detail has resulted in some of the most
refined painting and calligraphy ever seen on porcelain. （圖一）馬麟 《層疊冰綃》 圖軸 北京故宮博物院藏品
The current bowl for example, is masterfully painted with
a flowering prunus tree, its gnarled branches twisting and
bending, sometimes abruptly, complementing the contours
of the bowl; buds and blossoms are drawn with pale outlines,
creating a sense of purity and delicacy. Around its base are
grown clumps of bamboo bushes, their leaves finely delineated
and skilfully positioned. On one side is inscribed a poetic
inscription – two verses from a five-character poem written
in running script, alternating with lines of four and one
characters, and flanked by a single puce-enamelled seal on the
right and two further seals on the left.

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