清雍正 青花穿花龍紋長頸膽瓶 《大清雍正年製》款

青花龍紋長頸膽瓶，瓶腹飽圓，器頸轉折柔潤修長，繪五爪飛龍氣勢萬千，穿梭繁花折枝地，將雍正帝的思古之情與審美高度，納於一身。游龍穿花，躍於瓷上，源於十五世紀青花瓷，雍正一朝始見復作。龍紋乃中國瓷器及工藝品最重要之紋飾，象徵帝王及皇權，此青花膽瓶鈷藍發色濃豔，紋飾強而有力，以堆疊法畫製，仿傚早明青花瓷深濃帶黑斑效果，反映出當時瓷匠的高超技術。

穿蓮龍紋可見於永樂朝天球瓶，此時龍紋較大，至正德朝，龍紋略小，纏枝花地則更為密緻，作於各式器形，包括瓷瓶、盤、盌等，紋飾近類此瓶。膽瓶形制修長，多見為單色釉瓷，雍正朝匠人取其繪穿花龍紋，再現古風。可相比較一永樂天球瓶，售於倫敦蘇富比1974年4月1／2日，編號187；還有一件正德青花渣斗，錄於康蕊君，《玫茵堂中國陶瓷》，倫敦，1994年，卷2，圖版686，2011年4月7日售於香港蘇富比，編號60。



此龍紋長頸膽瓶，紋飾濃麗，雙龍遊戲纏枝卷花間，極為珍稀，為現僅知的雍正作例，類同一件乾隆年製作例，尺寸較大，地繪密緻蓮紋，出自Christian Holmes夫人及Evelyn Annenberg-Hall舊藏，2006年3月29日售於紐約佳士得，編號169，後於2011年4月8日再次由香港蘇富比售出，編號3106。亦可比較一件乾隆膽瓶，繪釉裏紅龍紋，青花花卉紋地，綴如意蓮瓣紋，頸繪蕉葉紋，現藏北京故宮，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧青花釉裏紅（下）》，香港，2000年，圖版209，同錄還有一件雍正瓷罐，繪四龍於花卉紋間，圖版89。



膽瓶器形雅麗，乾隆朝續燒而多作單色釉瓷，如南京博物院藏一件大型窰變釉膽瓶，載於《中國清代官窰瓷器》，上海，2003年，頁345；另一例藏於北京故宮博物院，錄於《中國清代官窰瓷器》，上海，2003年，圖版345；還有一件窰變釉瓶，綴描金花卉紋，為清宮舊藏，刊於《故宮珍藏康雍乾瓷器圖錄》，香港，1989年，頁393，圖版74。

英國北約克郡舊藏

Immaculate condition, with insignificant surface wear.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This magnificent dragon vase, superbly potted with an ovoid body gently rising to a tall slender neck, skilfully painted with forceful five-clawed dragons soaring through a dense network of floral scrolls, summarises the Yongzheng Emperor’s admiration of antiquity and his endeavour for aesthetic excellence. It is notable for its dynamic design of dragons amongst floral scrolls, a motif that is known from fifteenth century blue and white wares and which was revived under the Yongzheng emperor. The dragon is perhaps the most important motif in the repertoire of the Chinese potter and artist. It represents the emperor and is the symbol of imperial power. The effectiveness of the overall design of the present vase is also due to the brilliant deep blue cobalt, which has been applied to replicate the ‘heaping and piling’ effect of early Ming underglaze blue designs and reflects the high level of technical achievement attained by the craftsman.

Large dragons depicted amongst lotus scrolls are found on Yongle globular vases (tianqiuping). By the Zhengde reign, the dragons were reduced in size and surrounded by a tighter ground of flower scrolls in a style more closely related to the present decoration, with this motif decorating a range of wares including vases, dishes and bowls. The craftsman has achieved a contemporaneity on the present vase through the elegant pear-shape which was more commonly employed for monochromes of the Qing dynasty. Compare a Yongle tianqiuping sold in our London rooms, 1st/2nd April 1974, lot 187; and a Zhengde zhadou, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London 1994, vol. 2, pl. 686, and sold in these rooms, 7th April 2011, lot 60.

This exquisite dragon vase is extremely rare for its slender form decorated with a striking deep blue design of two dragons among a composite flower scroll. No other Yongzheng example appears to have been published although a Qianlong mark and period version, but of slightly larger size and the dragons rendered against a dense lotus scroll ground, from the Mrs Christian Holmes and Evelyn Annenberg-Hall collections, sold at Christie’s New York, 29th March 2006, lot 169, and again in these rooms, 8th April 2011, lot 3106.  Compare also a Qianlong vase of this shape, similarly decorated with a broad band of underglaze red dragons amongst a cobalt blue floral ground between ruyi and lappet borders and stiff leaves around the neck, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 209, together with a Yongzheng baluster vase rendered with a related motif of four dragons against a composite flower scroll, pl. 89.

This elegant form was adopted by the Qianlong Emperor who also employed it on monochrome glazed vessels; for example see a large flambé-glazed vase, in the Nanjing Museum, included in Zhongguo Qingdai guanyao  ciqi, Shanghai, 2003, p. 345; another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 345; and a third flambé-glazed vase decorated in gilt with a floral motif, from the Qing Court collection, illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 393, pl. 74.