Page 36 - Important Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art, Hong Kong

3121

A VERY RARE CIZHOU SGRAFFIATO A small number of Cizhou sgraffiato vases with similar form and
‘PEONY’ VASE decoration are known, including one in The Matsuoka Museum of Art,
illustrated in Selected Masterpieces of Oriental Ceramics, Tokyo, 1984, no.
NORTHERN SONG-JIN DYNASTY (960-1234) 23; and another published by T. Mikami, Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 13,
Tokyo, 1981, p. 238, no. 229. Compare also to an example with similar
The vase is carved through black slip to depict a broad peony scroll borne decoration but a more tapered lower body formerly in the Metropolitan
on leafy stem above a band of petals against a ground of white slip, all under Museum of Art, New York, sold at Christie’s New York, 15 September
a clear glaze. The foot and base are applied with a brown slip and unglazed. 2016, lot 806.

8 √ in. (22.5 cm.) high, box 北宋/金 磁州窯黑釉剔花牡丹紋卷口瓶

HK$800,000-1,200,000 US$110,000-160,000 著錄
譚旦冏，《中國陶瓷史》，下冊，台北，1985年，488頁
LITERATURE
Tan Dan-jiong, History of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 2, Taipei, 1985, p. 488 瓶口沿外卷，長頸，溜肩，腹下部漸收，圈足外撇。器身以黑剔花飾纏枝
牡丹紋，底邊飾直棱紋一周。
The very difficult technique used to produce the striking design on this
vase was developed at the Cizhou kilns in the Northern Song dynasty. 磁州黑剔花裝飾工藝複雜，是磁州窯最精美的裝飾技法之一。以本件牡丹
It involved the application of a pale slip to the unfired stoneware vessel, 紋瓶為例，窯工需先在素胎上施一層白化妝土，再加施一層黑化妝土。然
followed by a dark slip. The outline of the decoration was then incised 後刻劃花紋，將花紋以外部分的黑色化妝土剔去，露出白地襯托黑花，形
through the dark top layer and the background area of the design was 成強烈的黑白對比效果，最後施以透明釉。要剔除黑色面層而不傷及白色
cut away to reveal the pale slip beneath. Details, such as stamens and leaf 化妝土，工藝難度極高。紐約大都會博物館舊藏有一件與本品相似的磁州
veins, were also incised through the dark upper layer either with a fine 黑剔花卷口瓶，惟器身下部收斂更加明顯，2016年9月15日於紐約佳士得
point or a comb-like instrument. The thin colourless glaze could then be 拍賣，拍品編號3121。亦可比較東京松岡美術館收藏的一例，著錄於東京
applied and the vessel fired. 1984年出版的《館藏東洋陶瓷名品圖錄》，編號23。

This technique required very skilful application, since the slip layers were
both relatively soft and the decorator had to judge exactly how deep to
cut in order to remove the dark slip layer without accidentally cutting
away the lower pale layer. When successfully rendered, the technique was
ideal for the depiction of dramatic large-scale floral motifs like those seen
on the current vase. Sherds found at the Guantai kiln in Cixian, Hebei
province, include examples very similar to the current vase. These sherds
are illustrated in the excavation report of the Guantai kiln site, Guantai
Cizhou yaozhi, Beijing, 1997, pl. 25-4 and col. pl. 21-2.

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