Page 12 - Sotheby's Jie Rui Tang Collection Part II Kangxi Porcelain March 2019

A characteristic of the Kangxi period that I have found to be particularly 康熙時期瓷器的一個特點是精品並不局限於皇
fascinating is that unlike other great eras of high quality porcelain 家御瓷，這與其他製瓷盛世有所不同，更顯得趣
production, it was not dominated by the imperial court. Many of the 味盎然。許多佳器均為民窰所製，面向日漸繁盛
greatest pieces were made for the large and expanding domestic 的本土市場，至康熙較後期亦作外銷出口。我時
market and later into the period, for the growing export market. I have 常認為從製瓷的角度來講，康熙時期與荷蘭繪
often likened the Kangxi period in porcelain to the Dutch Golden Age 畫黃金年代甚為相似。這兩個時期均出現了富
in painting. Both periods saw a lot of new wealth and a new group of 裕的新社會階層及新興藏家，以來支持工坊的
patrons whose means supported the production of the highest quality 藝術創作。藝匠人數亦大幅提增，技巧更見精
goods. In both eras artists and artisans grew in number and skill to 進。各門藝術，皆有平凡作品，雖這兩個時期亦
meet the demand. Amid this tremendous increase in production, 不例外，然其總體藝術質量大幅上升，佳作層
as in all areas of artistic expression, some of the output was quite 出，多見精珍之品。荷蘭繪畫黃金年代，大師舉
pedestrian. However, in both periods many works rose to the level of 世知名，而康熙年間，雖同樣有製瓷大家，然而
excellence and, in some cases, to the level of masterpiece. In the case 名號未有流傳後世，後人僅可欣賞珍瓷，感懷藝
of the Dutch paintings, the names of the great masters are well known. 匠臻技。
With Kangxi porcelain, there are also great masters, but they remain
縱觀我的收藏生涯，我一直盡力尋覓各種器形
anonymous and we have to appreciate each piece on its own merits.
及風格的康熙瓷器，物色心目中此一時期之頂
In my many years of collecting I’ve tried to gather a cross section of 級珍品。有幸在集成收藏期間，市場供應充足，
shapes and styles, concentrating on what was in my view, the best of 這點從本拍賣即可見。割愛多年珍藏，固然難
the period. Fortunately I was buying at a time when much was available 捨，但慰於家中之餘藏、再尋佳物之期念，亦頗
on the market as is evidenced by what is in this sale. Of course it is 感欣然。最後，望祝各藏家在欣賞珍瓷之餘，亦
difficult to part with pieces that have been with me for so many years. 可如我一樣從瓷器當中得到懷古的品悟。
Some of them have been particular favorites. My consolation is found Jeffrey P. Stamen
in the pieces of the Jie Rui Tang Collection that still fill the shelves in
my home and the ever present possibility of finding and acquiring a
worthy addition. My hope is that others will not only appreciate these
pieces for their artistic and technical merit, but like me, learn a great
deal from them.
Jeffrey P. Stamen

10 SOTHEBY’S