Page 56 - Sotheby's Jie Rui Tang Collection Part II Kangxi Porcelain March 2019

CELESTIAL

EMISSARY:

THE FONTHILL ‘PHOENIX’ VASE

百鳥朝凰鼎盛世：放山居粉彩大棒槌瓶

This magnificent rouleau vase exemplifies the extraordinary results 本大棒槌瓶瑰麗雍雅，展示康熙朝晚期工藝技
derived from a series of technical developments achieved towards the end 術精進之輝煌成就。本瓶編制龐大，紋飾豔麗，
of the Kangxi period. Its impressive size and striking decoration testify to 足證清聖祖開明大度，紫禁城及景德鎮御窰屢
the advances in porcelain production that occurred under the aegis of a 創新技，發展迅速。此外，本瓶以五彩色調為基
progressive emperor who encouraged innovation and progress from the 礎，兼施粉紅彩、並摻混疊施多色彩料，乃屬採
workers in the imperial workshops in Beijing and Jingdezhen. The present 用此技最早期成功作例之一。
vase is one of the earliest examples of the successful and visually effective 此瓶見粉紅彩、釉上藍彩及綠彩暈染，乃屬康熙
inclusion of pink and blended-color enamels within a famille-verte context.
晚期製作，時五彩漸為粉彩所替，其遂得名五彩
The generous application of pink enamel and blended colors alongside a 加粉彩。關於清代引入粉紅彩之來源及深遠影
traditional famille-verte palette indicates that this piece was made in the 響，以及不透明白、黃色彩之發展，歷來學者討
late Kangxi period, when the relatively immutable palette of contrasting 論頗多。諸上種種，使得景德鎮所製瓷器面貌截
colors was gradually replaced by the more versatile famille-rose enamels, 然一新。學者 Nigel Wood 對此類彩化學成分
hence the term rose-verte. Numerous scholars have discussed the origins 研究深入，認爲此類不透明白、黃彩或源於琺瑯
and far-reaching consequences of the introduction of pink enamel, which, 器，而粉紅彩則可能從歐洲經天主教傳教士進
together with the development of opaque white and opaque yellow, 入中國、以金發色之粉紅彩（參見 Nigel Wood，
dramatically changed the look of the porcelain and considerably widened 《Chinese Glazes》，香港，1999年，頁241-243）
the scope of possibilities at Jingdezhen. Nigel Wood, who examined in 。清世宗紫禁城內設作坊，造就宮廷畫家、藝匠，
depth the chemical composition of these porcelain colors, suggests that 聯同歐洲傳教士，通力合作，地利人和，為時雖
while the white and yellow enamels probably derived from enamels used 短，卻為文藝發展迎來新姿，成就前所未見，製
on cloisonné ware, pink enamel was probably introduced in China from 有此般雅器，別開生面，啟琺瑯彩瓷先河。歐洲
Europe through Jesuit missionaries (see Nigel Wood, Chinese Glazes, 琺瑯或清宮玻璃作坊特製之琺瑯釉彩，與當時
Hong Kong, 1999, pp. 241-243). This short-lived period of cooperation 景德鎮之五彩大相逕庭，其中尤以自歐洲引入
之紫紅與鉛白為新，前者以金發色，膠體金煉成
between imperial artists and artisans and European Jesuits inside the
紫紅，濃艷透亮。清宮玻璃作坊為製掐絲琺瑯，
Forbidden City, under the watchful eye of the Kangxi emperor, was a
早有以砷酸鉛煉成白彩之技，但至康熙之時，疊
boon for China’s material arts that brought about technical and aesthetic
施為彩，摻於其他彩料，乳化不透，成就粉調柔
changes unimaginable just decades earlier. Enamels sent from Europe or
色。
custom-made at the imperial glass factory in Beijing provided a range of
hues very different from the wucai or famille-verte palette in use at the 此瓶題材寓意深長，鳳凰尊百鳥之王，百鳥環
same time at Jingdezhen. The European introduction of gold-ruby enamel, 繞，取其「百鳥朝凰、百鳥朝鳳」美意。鳳凰僅見
a transparent, deep purplish-red color derived from colloidal gold; and the 於太平盛世，鳥中之長，意指君王，臨天下，尊攝
impasto use of a white enamel derived from lead-arsenate, that had been 百官，寓君臣之義。圖中鳥雀各類，代表「五倫」
made in the glass workshops for some time, for use on cloisonné enamel 之道，鳳示君臣，鶴示父子，鴛鴦示夫妻，鶺鴒示
wares, but only now was found to be highly effective on porcelains where, 兄弟，黃鶯示朋輩。
mixed with other enamels, it added a whole new range of opaque, pastel
tones.

54 SOTHEBY’S