Page 38 - Sotheby's Jie Rui Tang Collection Part II Kangxi Porcelain March 2019

GAZING AT THE

SAME CLEAR MOON:

A TIMELESS TRIBUTE TO THE LITERATI AESTHETIC

望月懷古：文人美學寄珍瓷

The present brushpot, an essential item for a scholar, is aptly decorated 筆筒，文士必需之物，本品繪望月圖，傳神捕捉
with an aspirational depiction capturing a moment of poetic inspiration. 文人對月遙想之雅韻詩情。筒身並題王昌齡之
The imagery is reiterated in the inscription by the Tang dynasty poet, Wang 名。王昌齡，唐代詩人，擅寫塞外風光。本筆筒題
Changling (698-756), who was renowned for his atmospheric poems set 識：
in the far reaches of the empire. The inscription may be translated as
聽月樓高太清
follows:
南山對戶分明
Standing on the high tower under the moonlight, I listen to the pure 昨夜姮娥現影
sounds coming from the Southern Mountains 嫣然笑裡傳聲
Yesterday, the shadow of Chang’e appeared, and the sound of her 莘野樵筆
subtle laughter was audible 「汪」「朱石居」印
Signed Xin Yeqiao, with two seals; Wang and Zhu Shi Ju
康熙御瓷，多有取材自木刻版畫之作，本品正屬
As with many Kangxi porcelains, the present scene is directly inspired by a 一例，所繪望月圖及題詩源自黃鳳池（活躍於17
woodblock print illustration. The source for the imagery and poem is from 世紀早期）所編《唐詩畫譜》（圖一）。然而本筆筒
Tang shi hua pu, ‘Illustrations to Tang poems’, compiled by Huang Fengchi, 題詩落款乃 「莘野樵 」，並非作詩者王昌齡，而
a scholar who was active early 17th century (fig. 1). Interestingly the poem 現存並無有關莘氏之記載。杭州西湖博物館收
as it appears on this vessel is not ascribed to the poet Wang Changling 藏一五彩盤，亦帶莘野樵款，顯示此人或為景德
but signed Xin Yeqiao about whom no information has been recorded. An 鎮作坊藝匠，亦或為委託藝匠燒製此筆筒之人。
inscribed, famille-verte dish in the West Lake Museum, Hangzhou is also 文房珍玩，深受晚明及清初富裕文人所喜。其時
signed by Xin Yeqiao indicating the intriguing possibility that he may either
政治及社會動盪，文士官賈多抱守文人傳統價
have been an artist working at the Zhu Shi Ju workshop in Jingdezhen or
值，盼憑之取得靈感，並求心安，而富裕商人，乃
perhaps the person who commissioned these pieces.
此時期新興階層，亦跟隨此風，滿清朝官，則欲
Scholarly-themed luxury wares enjoyed considerable popularity among 藉之宣示權威。政局動盪、新興富商階層出現、
the wealthy elite of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. During a time
of considerable political and social turmoil, the long-held traditions and
values of the literati provided both reassurance and inspiration not just
to scholar-officials but to the emerging wealthy merchant class and
members of the foreign Manchu imperial court seeking to strengthen
their claim to rule. This unique historical confluence of upheaval, new
wealth and new governance gave impetus to a series of remarkable
technological and artistic advancement in the production of porcelain at
Jingdezhen. Literati-themed wares provided a tangible connection to an
ideal realm and would likely have been understood and appreciated by the
fortunate few who could afford them as both spiritual inspiration and as a
resounding statement of wealth and social status.
The use of three-dimensional surfaces to convey traditional two-
dimensional formats reached new and innovative heights in the Kangxi
period. Elaborate figural scenes appear in the Yuan dynasty and again
in the Ming but not in conjunction with calligraphy and never with such
immediate reference to scroll painting. The multi-layered contrivance of
a scholarly scene painted in imitation of the layered greens and blues of
a Tang dynasty palette and inscribed with a Tang dynasty poem on the
theme of finding a muse in nature, all wrapped around a cylindrical vessel Fig 1. Huang Fengchi,
Tang shi hua pu, Early
designed for the storage of brushes to create the aforementioned work, 17th century, p.15
appealed intellectually and materially to luxury buyers of the early Qing.
圖一 十七世紀初 黃鳳池編
《唐詩畫譜》

36 SOTHEBY’S