A rare coral-red and gilt-decorated 'chilong' garlic-mouth vase, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period | 清雍正 珊瑚紅釉塑貼描金螭龍蒜頭瓶

Collection of Edward T. Chow (1910-80).

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 25th November 1980, lot 83.

Collection of the Tsui Museum of Art.

Christie's Hong Kong, 7th July 2003, lot 670.

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2006, lot 1009.

仇焱之（1910-80年）收藏

香港蘇富比1980年11月25日，編號83

徐氏藝術館收藏

香港佳士得2003年7月7日，編號670

香港蘇富比2006年10月8日，編號1009

The design of the present vase originated in the Ming Jiajing period (r. 1521-67). During this time, the technique of applying animal-shaped plaques to the vase's body was introduced, producing a sculptural effect that enhanced the vase's aesthetic appeal. Compare a Jiajing example with an almost identical appliqué, from the Qing imperial collection and in the Palace Museum, Beijing (accession no. Gu00145720).

This design reappeared in the Kangxi period, and porcelain with appliqué decoration was applied to wares of various kinds. See, for example, a similarly decorated vase with garlic mouth, but of Dehua ware, attributed to the Kangxi period, sold in our New York rooms, 23rd March 2022, lot 323; and a peachbloom-glazed bottle vase with appliqué green dragon, illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1995. 

Pieces of this type were continuously produced in the Yongzheng period; see, for example, a Yongzheng marked zun with appliqué chilong decoration in Jun type glaze, from the Tianjin Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji. Qing. Shang / The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 14, Shanghai, 1999, pl. 236. Compare also a related Qianlong zun, decorated with a gilt chilong on a coral ground, illustrated in the Oriental Ceramic Society and the Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong, Ch'ing Polychrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1977, cat. no. 87.

此瓶制式初見於明嘉靖朝，瓶身塑貼瑞獸，呈現雕塑視效，平添韻致。比清宮舊藏一嘉靖類例，塑貼如出一轍，現貯故宮博物院，北京（藏品編號Gu00145720）。

康熙朝復興此技，施用塑貼紋飾之器種類不一而足。比一蒜頭瓶，德化白瓷，斷為康熙，售於紐約蘇富比2022年3月23日，編號323；另比一長頸瓶，豇豆紅釉，塑貼綠龍，錄徐氏藝術館，香港，1995年。

雍正朝亦用此技；可比一尊，塑貼仿鈞釉螭龍，雍正年款，藏天津博物館，錄《中國陶瓷全集・清（上）》，卷14，上海，1999年，圖版236。另比一乾隆尊，珊瑚紅地塑貼描金螭龍，錄香港東方陶瓷學會及馮平山博物館，《清代彩瓷》，香港，1977年，編號87。