A fine and large blue and white vase, hu Seal mark and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 青花纏枝花卉紋鳩耳壺 《大清乾隆年製》款

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16th May 1977, lot 89.

香港蘇富比1977年5月16日，編號89

S.T. Yeo and Jean Martin, Chinese Blue and White Ceramics, Singapore, 1978, col. fig. 20.

楊勝德及馬紀恩，《中國青花瓷器》，新加坡，1978年，彩圖20

The present vase is impressive for its large size, flawless potting and finely executed decoration. It is closely related to two other vases of similar dimensions, shape and painted motif, although the band of upright leaves on the neck as seen on this piece is replaced by a band of stylised lotus scroll design; one from the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. 3, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 136, and possibly its pair, a vase in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 234. See also a Qianlong mark and period Ru-type vase of very similar shape and size to the present piece, in the Nanjing Museum, included ibid., pl. 329. Compare additional Qianlong vase of this type covered in flambé glaze, from the collection of F.C. Harrison and formerly on loan at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford in December 1903, sold in these rooms, 29th November 1976, lot 568, and later included in the exhibition Chinese Porcelain. The S.C. Ko Tianminlou Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1987, cat. no. 162.

While the form of this vase is loosely based on archaic bronze hu vessels of the Zhou period, the decoration is delicately painted in the brilliant tone of cobalt blue with the simulated ‘heaped and piled’ effect associated with early Ming period porcelain wares. The use of stylised turtledoves for the handles is worth noting as doves are rarely employed in Chinese design despite being an auspicious symbol of peace and harmony. More common are vessels of this type bearing handles in the form of dragon heads, as seen on a vase in the Shanghai Museum, included in the exhibition Den Bla Draken, Rohsska Museet, Goteborg, 1995, cat. no. 60; two in the Tianjin Municipal Museum, Tianjin, published in Tianjin Shi Yishu Bowuguan cang ci, Tianjin, 1993, pl. 165; and a vase sold in these rooms, 8th October 2006, lot 1058.

The present vase takes its inspiration from slightly earlier, Yongzheng period, hu-shaped vases of related form and floral-scroll decoration. For example, see a Yongzheng mark and period vase, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. 3, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 95. Another smaller Yongzheng vase of this type was sold in these rooms, 14th November 1989, lot 75, and again, 29th October 1991, lot 133. Compare also a Yongzheng guan-type vase of this shape included in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, pl. 78.

此瓶端莊碩大，巧製雅飾，幾近無瑕，繪飾細緻靈巧。有二瓶，或成對，其尺寸、器形、紋飾皆與此相近，僅頸上改綴纏枝蓮紋，而非本品上之上仰葉紋。其中一瓶屬清宮舊藏，現存北京，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．青花釉裏紅（下）》，上海，2000年，圖版136。或與其匹配之瓶則藏南京博物院，圖見《中國清代官窰瓷器》，上海，2003 年，圖版234。另可對比一乾隆年製仿汝釉瓶，署款，其器形尺寸也與本品相仿，存南京博物院，出處同上，圖版329。乾隆年製例也可參考 F.C. Harrison 舊藏窰變釉瓶，曾借展予牛津 Ashmolean Museum（1903年12月），售於香港蘇富比1976年11月29日，編號568，後展於《天民樓藏瓷》，香港藝術館，香港，1987 年，編號162。

本品器形，雖與古物不盡相同，源卻可上溯周朝古青銅壺。繪飾青花發色濃艷，且仿傚明初瓷作黑疵斑駁。雙耳作鳩之形。鳩乃瑞鳥，象徴長壽， 據《後漢書》，「八十九十禮有加賜，玉杖長九尺，端以鳩鳥為飾。鳩者，不噎之鳥也。欲老人不噎。」鳩鳥又有聚樂和平之意，卻鮮見飾於中國藝作。反之，同形之器，多綴以龍首耳，如上海博物館藏品，展於《Den Bla Draken》，Rohsska Museet，Goteborg，1995年，編號60，或天津博物館藏二例，見《天津市藝術博物館彩瓷》，香港，1993年，圖版165，還有香港蘇富比2006年10月8日售出之瓶，編號1058。

本品倣效相類雍正纏枝花紋壺，例可見清宮舊藏壺，署雍正六字款，現仍存北京故宮，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系．青花釉裏紅（下）》，上海，2000年，圖版95。另一相類雍正壺，略小，曾二度由香港蘇富比售出，分別為1989年11月14日，編號75，及1991年10月29日，編號133。另可比較一雍正仿官釉雙鳩耳壺例，見《故宮珍藏康雍乾瓷器圖錄》，香港，1989年，圖版78。