拍品專文
The present lot is sold with all the reference books mentioned above.
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE EUROPEAN COLLECTION
THE TUTEIN NOLTHENIUS JADE BUFFALO
ROSEMARY SCOTT, INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, ASIAN ART
This superb white jade buffalo was formerly in the collection of the famous Dutch industrialist and collector Hugo Tutein Nolthenius (1863-1944). Hugo Tutein Nolthenius was a chemist by training who went into industry and from 1898 to 1920 was Director of the Calvè -Delft fine oil factory in Delft. He was a man of many talents, who enjoyed driving cars, skating and, most significantly, had a passion for art. He was himself an amateur photographer, ceramicist and glass-painter, but was also a patron of the arts and one of the early 20th century's great Dutch collectors.
Hugo Tutein Nolthenius had grown up in a household which appreciated art, as it had been one of the interests of his banker father. In the early 1880s Hugo attended the Polytechnic School in Delft, and it is likely that he attended the classes given by the professor of decorative arts Adolf le Comte, who was an innovator in the field of ceramics. Later Hugo had his own kiln at his home and experimented with his nephew Harm Kamerlingh Onnes to produce ceramics influenced by those of Asia.
His interest in art even spilt over into his professional life, and in 1894 Tutein Nolthenius commissioned an advertising poster from the Javanese-Dutch artist Jan Toorop (1858-1928), which advertised 'Delftsche Slaolie' (Delft Salad Oil) for the NOF company. This lithograph, which was printed in a number of colour combinations, is one of the best-known examples of Dutch Art Nouveau. For his own home in Delft Hugo Tutein Nolthenius commissioned stained glass windows from Johan Thorn-Prikker (1868-1932), as well as portraits of himself and his sister and brother. In addition to the works of art he commissioned, Tutein Nolthenius also collected both Chinese works of art, such as the current jade buffalo, and paintings by Dutch artists, including Harm Kamerlingh Onnes (1893-1985), Isaac Israës (1865-1935) and some twelve paintings by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Van Gogh's 1889 Self-Portrait, which is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, was formerly in Tutein Nolthenius' collection. While he was able to follow his own well-informed tastes in his collecting, Tutein Nolthenius was also advised by Hendricus Petrus Bremmer (1871-1956) - artist, collector and one of the most important Dutch art critics of the early 20th century, some of whose classes in the Hague had been attended by Tutein Nolthenius' sister Julie. Bremmer considered the Tuten Nolthenius collection so important that in 1924-25 he gave a series of lectures based upon it.
Hugo Tutein Nolthenius was generous with his collection, and allowed items from it to go on public exhibition on a number of occasions. The current jade buffalo, for example, was exhibited in Amsterdam at the Stedelijk Museum in 1919 (exhibit no. 12). In 2008 an exhibition Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portret van een Delftsch kunstverzamelaar (Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portrait of a Delft art collector), was held in Delft to celebrate both the collector and his remarkable collection.
The buffalo itself was published in 1920 by T. B. Roorda (ed.) in Keur van werken van Oost-Aziatische Kunst in Nederlandsch Bezit, 's-Gravenhage/La Haye, Nijhoff, pl. IV. H.F.E. Visser illustrated the buffalo in Asiatic Art, Holland, 1948, pp. 267-8, pl. 93, no. 179, where its owner is given as W. R. Tutein Nolthenius; and it was also included in the exhibition Oosterse Schatten- 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, in 1954, no. 86. After Hugo Tutein Nolthenius' death in 1944 the buffalo was valued at 2500 Dutch Guilders. At that time, Hugo's nephew Willem purchased the buffalo from the estate for 4,000 Dutch Guilders, and it has passed to the current owners by descent.
This magnificent jade buffalo is remarkable not only for its size and the excellence of its carving, but for the white jade from which it has been made. While several large green jade buffalo are known, large white jade buffalo are exceedingly rare. This buffalo has another feature that makes it exceedingly rare. In addition to the lead-rope attached to its nostrils and ends neatly coiled beneath the animal, another much more unusual item has been carved on its underside with great skill and attention to detail. This is a small triangular, lattice-strung, beaded cloth from which hangs a large tassel. It seems likely that this cloth is intended to be a ceremonial peytrel, or back cloth. The ties of the beaded triangle have been undone, presumably from around the buffalo's neck, or belly, and the strings lie loosely. The carving appears to suggest that the triangular object was made in the same way as the ceremonial beaded aprons worn by lamaist abbots. The beaded cloth, and the extensive, layered, tassel that is attached to it, have been carved on the underside of the buffalo's body as if they were on the ground and the buffalo was lying on top of them. These accoutrements suggest that the buffalo has just taken part in some important, possibly imperial, ceremony. Bovines are recorded as taking part in certain imperial ceremonies in the Ming and Qing dynasties. One such ceremony took place in Beijing in the third lunar month, when the emperor personally ploughed three furrows within grounds of the Xiannongtan (the Temple of Agriculture) and made sacrifices to the God of Agriculture. This annual imperial ritual, which began in the 15th century, was intended to begin the agricultural year and ensure a good harvest. A 1780s engraving by Isidore Stanislas Helman shows the emperor directing a plough pulled by an ox (illustrated in From Beijing to Versailles - Artistic Relations between China and France, Urban Council Hong Kong, 1997, pp. 248-9, no. 95). The ox, which is depicted as being led by two men dressed in similar 'farming clothes' to those worn by the emperor himself, appears to have a small triangular cloth tied to its back. The possible reference to imperial ritual suggests that the commissioning of the current white jade buffalo may have been of great significance.
Jade buffalo have traditionally been greatly prized in China. The Asiatic ox or buffalo is one of the twelve horary animals representing Chou, the second of the twelve branches of the Chinese calendrical system. Buffalo are associated with strength, prosperity and tranquillity in China, in part because of their role in farming and the production of food. This attitude is evoked by a Qianlong inscription, dated 1746, which may refer to the ceremony at the Xiannongtan. The inscription appears on a more simply carved brownish-black jade buffalo sold at Christie's London in 2003, and can be translated as reading:
'Chou is essential to provide food, helping thousands of people to bring in a bountiful harvest every year.'
It is perhaps not surprising that one of the favourite images of the rural idyll depicted by Chinese painters such as Li Tang (c. AD 1050-after 1130) show a small boy either riding or leading a water buffalo. Li Tang's Herd Boy with Water Buffalo and Calf, Song dynasty 11th-12th century, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, for example, is illustrated by Ann Barrott Wicks (ed.) in Children in Chinese Art, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 2002, p. 54, fig. 2.6. Many smaller jade carvings of buffalo include young boys (see James C.Y. Watt, Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia Society, New York, 1980, pp. 65-6, nos. 46-8). Such iconography suggests both sons and a good harvest.
Buffalo also appear in a famous series known as Gengzhi tu (Pictures of Tilling and Weaving). The original version of this appears to have been by Lou Shou (AD 1090-1162) and was published, as forty-six illustrations accompanied by poems, around AD 1237. A fine woodblock printed version was produced under the imperial auspices of the Kangxi Emperor in AD 1696, known as Yuzhi Gengzhi tu or Peiwenzhai Gengzhi tu. A beautiful series painted in colours on silk was produced in the Yongzheng reign (1723-35) probably by the court artist Chen Mei. This series shows the emperor himself engaged in farming, and in one leaf is shown working with a water buffalo in the fields. This series is today preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing. One of the pictures with water buffalo from the latter series is illustrated in the exhibition catalogue Splendors of a Flourishing Age, Museu de Arte de Macau, 1999, no. 16.
The romanticised view of the buffalo had resonance for Chan Buddhists and Daoists alike, suggesting retreat into a tranquil rural life, away from the cities and the responsibilities of public office. This tranquil life evoked by the buffalo is eloquently expressed by the famous Song dynasty literatus Su Shi (AD 1037-1101) who was prompted by a painting of boys herding buffalo to write a poem, which includes the lines:
'Long ago I lived in the country,
And knew only sheep and buffalo.
Down the smooth riverbeds [riding] on the buffalo's back,
Steady as a hundredweight barge,
A boat that needed no steering, while the banks slipped by,
I stretched out and read a book: she [the buffalo] didn't care.'
The buffalo is also associated with Laozi, who is often depicted in paintings riding a buffalo. The titles of paintings, such as that by Zhang Lu (c. 1490- c. 1563) in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei (illustrated by S. Little in Taoism and the Arts of China, Art Institute of Chicago, 2000, p. 117), are often simply translated as Laozi on an Ox, but unsurprisingly the beast on which the founder of Daoist rides has the swept-back, inward-curving, horns of a buffalo or Asiatic ox.
The popularity of these creatures also has an ancient source, since the legendary Emperor Yu of the Xia dynasty (c. 2100-1600 BC) is said to have cast an iron ox or buffalo to subdue the floods. This theme was taken up by the Qianlong Emperor (AD 1736-95), when in 1755 he ordered the casting of a large bronze ox and its placement looking out over Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace. On the animal's back is an 80-character essay in seal script, referring to Yu's casting of the iron buffalo to control the floods. Qianlong's bronze animal and the current white jade buffalo share very similar poses, although the bronze creature has its head raised and has neither a leading rope through its nose, nor any ceremonial garb.
The mythological and practical auspiciousness of buffalo ensured that they were included among animal figures from early times. A small recumbent buffalo carved from steatite was found in the Tang dynasty tomb dated AD 845 at Xinyuancun, Yanshi, in Henan (see Kaogu, 1984, vol. 10, p. 911, fig. 9: 4 and 5). However, depictions of buffalo are much rarer than, for example, horses. Nevertheless, there is a relatively small group of finely carved, large, jade buffalo dating to the period of the late Ming and early Qing dynasty. These buffalo, and some similarly carved horses, may be distinguished from the more usual, smaller, jade animals, not only by their size, but also by the skill with which they were carved.
Large jade buffalo were clearly greatly treasured by the imperial family, since several of the extant examples are known to have been removed from the Summer Palace in 1860. One of these is the grey-green jade example now in the collection of Sir Joseph Hotung (illustrated by Jessica Rawson in Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, British Museum Press, London, 1995, p. 175, no. 26:19), which was formerly in the collection of The Rt. Hon. Lord Gladwyn, and previous to that in the possession of Colonel Arthur Jebb, who acquired it on the troop ship returning to England from China. Another of these large jade buffalo is in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Illustrated by J. Ayers & J. Rawson in Chinese Jade throughout the ages, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1975, p. 120, no. 395). This latter example, formerly belonging to Oscar Raphael, was included in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art held at the Royal Academy in 1935-36, as exhibit 480. The 1935 catalogue of the exhibition repeated the story, now discounted, that the piece had been brought to Beijing by the Yongle Emperor in AD 1422, and that it might be of Han date. According to J. Goette (in Jade Lore (first published in 1937), Ars Ceramica, Ann Arbour, 1976, p. 199, the Raphael/Fitzwilliam jade was purchased in Tianjin, when the foreign troops were leaving China following the Boxer rebellion of 1900, and could therefore be assumed to have come from the Palace. Another fine example, reputedly removed from the Summer Palace in Beijing, was sold in London in April 1953.
An impressive grey-green jade buffalo, which was formerly in the collection of Somerset de Chair, was included in the exhibition Chinese Jade throughout the ages in 1975, no. 397. The same exhibition included one more of these large Ming dynasty jade buffaloes, exhibit 396, which was lent anonymously. A slightly smaller green jade buffalo, formerly in the collection of Baron Lionel de Rothschild, and previously in the Victor Rothschild Collection, was sold in London in December 1948. A sage green jade buffalo, previously in the Alexander Ionides was sold in London in 1954, while a grey-green jade example formerly the collection of E.W.L. Atterbury, which shares many features of carving with the present example, was sold in London in July 1960. This latter piece was lent by its then owner Mr. N. Tozer to the Oriental Ceramic Society Exhibition of the Arts of the Ming Dynasty, London, 1957, pl. 93, no. 344, and is illustrated, along with another piece belonging to The Hon. Mrs. Marten, in plate 93 of Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, Vol. 30, 1955-57.
The most recently sold examples of these fine, large jade buffalo, were a green jade creature, formerly in the Bulgari Collection, which was sold at Christie's New York in March 2000 for $486,500; a green jade buffalo with its gilt-bronze stand was sold at Woolley & Wallis, 20 May 2009, lot 388 (sold for GBP3,400,000); and a green jade buffalo from the Estate of Leona Helmsley, which sold for US$421,000 at Christie's New York in 2008. These pieces, together with a small number in museums such as the Chinese Palace Museums, the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; the Royal Ontario Museum; and the Cleveland Museum of Art; are part of a rare group that is characterised by their size, by the naturalness of their forms, and by the extraordinarily fine quality of their carving. The current white jade example is a particularly distinguished member of this group.
A MAGNIFICENT WHITE JADE WATER BUFFALO
細節
諾色那斯珍藏: 溫潤殷實 白玉臥牛
蘇玫瑰 – 國際亞洲藝術部門學術總監
此件精緻傳神的白玉雕臥牛, 為著名的荷蘭工業鉅子及收藏家雨果.圖恬.諾色那斯 (1863-1944) 的舊藏。雨果原是化學科班出身, 之後投身工業市場, 在1898 至1920 年間成為卡維 – 代爾夫特食用油公司的總監。雨果本身興趣廣泛, 除了喜愛溜冰以及享受開車的快感外, 對藝術有著極大的熱誠。多才多藝的他不但身兼業餘攝影師、陶藝家以及繪玻璃師, 更是藝術贊助者以及二十世紀早期荷蘭重要的收藏家。
雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯成長在藝術氣息濃厚的家庭, 他的銀行家父親對藝術極有興趣, 因此他從小也就耳濡目染。雨果在1880年代於代爾夫特理工學校進修時, 應有參與由當時著名的前衛陶藝教授Adolf le Comte所講授的裝飾藝術課程, 之後他甚至在家中還有一個專門的燒窰爐, 以供自己和他的侄子Harm Kamerlingh Onnes 一同創作帶亞洲藝術風格的陶瓷。
他寓作上於藝術, 1894年 諾色那斯委託著名的新藝術運動畫家揚•托羅普(Jan Toorop, 1858-1928) 設計代爾夫特沙拉油廣告海報, 此張海報設計隨後以多色印製, 成為荷蘭新藝術運動最廣為人知的代表作之一。在代爾夫特當地, 雨果也向約翰•松佩克 (Johan Thorn-Prikker, 1868-1932) 訂製彩色玻璃藝術作品,以及他自己和兄妹們的肖像。除了特別委託訂作的工藝精品外, 他也收藏包括本件白玉臥牛等的中國藝術品, 以及其他荷蘭畫家如Harm Kamerlingh Onnes (1893-1985), Isaac Israëls (1865-1935)及12幅梵谷 (Vincent Van Gough, 1853-1890) 的畫作。現在收藏於華盛頓國家藝廊,著名的梵谷1889自畫像，就曾屬於諾色那斯。他不但收藏眼光及品味皆精良, 同時也請當代最著名的藝術家、收藏家兼二十世紀早期最重要的荷蘭藝術評鑑家亨瑞克斯•班姆爾Hendricus Petrus Bremmer (1871-1956)為顧問。雨果的妹妹茱莉( Julie)就曾出席班姆爾在海亞的一些講課。在1924–25 年間, 班姆爾因為非常重視諾色那斯的收藏, 甚至還特別根據這批藏品開辦一系列的專題講座。
雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯也是個大方的收藏家, 經常借出自己的藏品予公眾展覽。本件白玉臥牛就曾在1919年於阿姆斯特丹市立博物館展出 (展品12號)。2008年, 代爾夫特舉辦了一場特展: 雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯-代爾夫特藝術收藏家的真面目《Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portret van een Delftsch kunstverzamelaar 》(Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portrait of a Delft art collector) 來紀念讚揚他的成就及出眾的藏品。
此件白玉臥牛曾出版於1920年T. B. Roorda 編著的 Keur van werken van Oost-Aziatische Kunst in Nederlandsch Bezit, 's-Gravenhage/La Haye, Nijhoff, 圖 IV. 。 H.F.E. Visser亦收錄此件白玉牛於1948年 阿姆斯特丹出版的亞洲藝術《Asiatic Art》一書, 第267頁, 圖例93, 編號 179, 當時的藏家是W. R. Tutein Nolthenius。荷蘭國家博物館1954年策劃的Oosterse Schatten- 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst展覽中, 也展出過此件白玉牛, 展品86 號。 雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯於1944年逝世之時, 本件白玉水牛的價格評估為2500荷蘭幣。結果雨果的侄子威廉Willem以4000荷蘭幣買下之後, 流傳於家族後人收藏至今。
本件白玉臥牛不但雕工流暢, 用料大器, 選用白玉更是難得一見。雖然有其他的青玉水牛傳世, 但是白玉質的大件水牛擺件, 卻是十分罕見。水牛鼻子上的牽繩由嘴旁掛至背上, 水牛底部還雕有其他的細節處理, 令它格外特殊。牛腹上除了雕有一捆細繩, 還有一張帶濃密的流蘇的三角形串飾編織的毯子, 這張毯子極有可能是祭祀禮儀所用的披飾物; 編織結繩處看似已從水牛頸部或腹部鬆綁, 因而垂散下來。從雕飾手法看來, 編織物與喇嘛高僧所穿著之慶典飾服十分相似, 而且置於腹下部位則如同水牛臥於帶著厚實多層流蘇的編織物上。由此些裝飾配備推測這頭水牛也許剛參與了一場重要或是皇室的祭祀大典。在明清兩朝的宮廷記載中, 不乏牛類牲畜出現於祭典活動。其中如農曆三月在北京先農壇所舉行的『一畝三分地』皇帝親耕禮。祭祀先農耕犁儀式，始於十五世紀明朝, 是一項極其隆重的活動, 以此勸民重農務農並求豐年。赫爾曼 Isidore Stanislas Helman 曾在1780年代鏨刻銅版畫《中國皇帝耕犁儀式圖》, 著錄於1997年香港藝術館編印的《從北京到凡爾賽:中法美術交流》目錄第248-249頁, 圖中可見皇帝身著農服, 右手扶犁，左手執鞭，前面有二人牽牛，而牛背上就繫有一方三角巾。由於與皇室祭典的關聯性, 益發凸顯此件白玉臥牛的重要性。
玉牛在中國一向十分廣受喜愛。在亞洲，牛也稱水牛，在十二生肖中是對應十二地支的「丑」。中國人對牛的認知一向是盡忠職守，勤奮努力，堅毅而不屈, 有力但祥和溫順，其中多少與其助耕生產農作物的角色有關係。倫敦佳士得曾在2003年拍賣過一件玉牛擺件, 上面刻有乾隆皇帝受到先農壇的啟發而在丙寅年 (1746)所作的詩『丑之精， 食之本 。樂彼萬民， 歲賴以稔。』 內文對牛的美德讚譽有加, 亦是對此形象有推波助瀾，廣植人心的效果。
宋朝畫家李唐的作品《乳牛圖》，現藏於台北國立故宮博物院 , 見2002年夏威夷大學出版，Ann Barrott Wicks 編著《Children in Chinese Art》54頁，圖例2.6, 畫中繪有一位牧童趴伏在母牛背上，小牛緊隨在後，引頸低呼，母牛搖尾相應，二牛形體神韻描繪俱佳，親子間孺慕之情，表露無遺。田野的竹叢以及蘆葦，亦敷色清雅，層次分明，為一件很好的農村景致畫。而許多小件的玉雕也可見牧童與水牛的擺件, 寓意生子與豐收。
在著名的《耕織圖》中, 牛更是不可或缺的要角之一。《耕織圖》是南宋紹興年間畫家樓璹所作，反映了當時耕織生產的過程, 受到歷代帝王的推崇和嘉許。清朝康熙皇帝於1696年傳命朱圭重新複製木刻版，計有耕圖和織圖各23幅，並每幅製詩一章，為《御製耕織圖》（又名《佩文齋耕織圖》）。北京故宮博物院藏有雍正皇帝命令宮廷畫工（極有可能是陳枚）精心繪製絹本設色摹繪本《雍正像耕織圖冊》一套。畫冊用筆精工，刻畫雍正帝親身投入耕織生產，人物形象生動逼真，細緻傳神。見1999年澳門藝術博物館出版的《盛世風華》目錄，圖16中便可見雍正像圖冊中有一水牛勤奮工作於田裡。
在禪宗以及道教的觀念裡，也對牛有特殊的親近與好感，令人聯想到寧靜的田園生活，遠離世俗塵囂及煩瑣之公務。其中最好的例子，莫過於宋朝文人蘇軾某日為放牧圖所引發的靈感，進而提筆作《書晁說之「考牧圖」後》，文中提及: 「我昔在田間，晊知羊與牛。川平牛背穩，如駕百觔舟。 舟行無人岸自移，我臥讀書牛不知。」
道教始祖老子，其肖像亦常扮隨牛隻出現於畫中。台北國立故宮博物院一幅畫為明代張路的真蹟，收錄於2000年芝加哥藝術學院出版，S. Little著有關道教與中國藝術一書《Taoism and the Arts of China 》第 117頁，圖名『老子騎牛』。畫家精準地捕捉物象的形體和神態，運用微妙的墨色變化，讓作品的質感更為豐富，描繪的牛隻正是耳廓較短小，頭額部狹長，背部向後下方傾斜，雙角細長內彎的亞洲牛。
與牛相關的故事，甚至可以追溯早至夏朝，傳說中大禹整治黃河水患時，曾鑄造一頭鐵牛鎮洪，其後禹治水有功，舜禪讓繼帝位，禹王登基，以夏為號建立夏朝。數千年之後，清朝乾隆皇帝仿傚前朝聖主，在1755年下令御製一頭銅牛置於清漪園（後改名頤和園）的昆明湖畔。牛背上鏨有80字篆文歌頌讚揚大禹鑄鐵牛以治洪之功。除了沒有牽繩以及慶典披飾，乾隆的銅牛像與本件白玉臥牛的姿態形式皆十分相似。
牛的親民吉祥形象同時具有神話故事背景，令它們很早就出現在早期的動物擺件。在1984年出版的《考古》第十卷, 發表「河南偃師杏園村的兩座唐墓」一文中，第911頁圖例 9:4 及9:5，就提及在定代公元845年的唐墓中出土了一件滑石雕小臥牛。雖然相較之下,也許沒有其他動物如馬匹等數量眾多, 但是明末清初這一段時間, 還是可以看到為數不算少且雕工精良的玉牛擺件。這些玉牛, 連同一些玉馬, 從雕刻的工藝水平及用料大器, 便可分辨出與其他體型較小且品質普通的動物小擺件是不可同日而語。
從記錄顯示, 皇室十分喜愛大型的玉牛擺件, 光是圓明園就流散出數件此類珍品。何鴻卿爵士的藏品中, 就收有一件灰玉牛, 早先為Arthur Jebb上校自中國返英之戰船上購得, 之後屬於The Rt. Hon. Lord Gladwyn舊藏, 見1995年大英博物館出版, Jessica Rawson著《Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing》第375頁, 圖例
蘇玫瑰 – 國際亞洲藝術部門學術總監
此件精緻傳神的白玉雕臥牛, 為著名的荷蘭工業鉅子及收藏家雨果.圖恬.諾色那斯 (1863-1944) 的舊藏。雨果原是化學科班出身, 之後投身工業市場, 在1898 至1920 年間成為卡維 – 代爾夫特食用油公司的總監。雨果本身興趣廣泛, 除了喜愛溜冰以及享受開車的快感外, 對藝術有著極大的熱誠。多才多藝的他不但身兼業餘攝影師、陶藝家以及繪玻璃師, 更是藝術贊助者以及二十世紀早期荷蘭重要的收藏家。
雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯成長在藝術氣息濃厚的家庭, 他的銀行家父親對藝術極有興趣, 因此他從小也就耳濡目染。雨果在1880年代於代爾夫特理工學校進修時, 應有參與由當時著名的前衛陶藝教授Adolf le Comte所講授的裝飾藝術課程, 之後他甚至在家中還有一個專門的燒窰爐, 以供自己和他的侄子Harm Kamerlingh Onnes 一同創作帶亞洲藝術風格的陶瓷。
他寓作上於藝術, 1894年 諾色那斯委託著名的新藝術運動畫家揚•托羅普(Jan Toorop, 1858-1928) 設計代爾夫特沙拉油廣告海報, 此張海報設計隨後以多色印製, 成為荷蘭新藝術運動最廣為人知的代表作之一。在代爾夫特當地, 雨果也向約翰•松佩克 (Johan Thorn-Prikker, 1868-1932) 訂製彩色玻璃藝術作品,以及他自己和兄妹們的肖像。除了特別委託訂作的工藝精品外, 他也收藏包括本件白玉臥牛等的中國藝術品, 以及其他荷蘭畫家如Harm Kamerlingh Onnes (1893-1985), Isaac Israëls (1865-1935)及12幅梵谷 (Vincent Van Gough, 1853-1890) 的畫作。現在收藏於華盛頓國家藝廊,著名的梵谷1889自畫像，就曾屬於諾色那斯。他不但收藏眼光及品味皆精良, 同時也請當代最著名的藝術家、收藏家兼二十世紀早期最重要的荷蘭藝術評鑑家亨瑞克斯•班姆爾Hendricus Petrus Bremmer (1871-1956)為顧問。雨果的妹妹茱莉( Julie)就曾出席班姆爾在海亞的一些講課。在1924–25 年間, 班姆爾因為非常重視諾色那斯的收藏, 甚至還特別根據這批藏品開辦一系列的專題講座。
雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯也是個大方的收藏家, 經常借出自己的藏品予公眾展覽。本件白玉臥牛就曾在1919年於阿姆斯特丹市立博物館展出 (展品12號)。2008年, 代爾夫特舉辦了一場特展: 雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯-代爾夫特藝術收藏家的真面目《Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portret van een Delftsch kunstverzamelaar 》(Hugo Tutein Nolthenius. Portrait of a Delft art collector) 來紀念讚揚他的成就及出眾的藏品。
此件白玉臥牛曾出版於1920年T. B. Roorda 編著的 Keur van werken van Oost-Aziatische Kunst in Nederlandsch Bezit, 's-Gravenhage/La Haye, Nijhoff, 圖 IV. 。 H.F.E. Visser亦收錄此件白玉牛於1948年 阿姆斯特丹出版的亞洲藝術《Asiatic Art》一書, 第267頁, 圖例93, 編號 179, 當時的藏家是W. R. Tutein Nolthenius。荷蘭國家博物館1954年策劃的Oosterse Schatten- 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst展覽中, 也展出過此件白玉牛, 展品86 號。 雨果•圖恬•諾色那斯於1944年逝世之時, 本件白玉水牛的價格評估為2500荷蘭幣。結果雨果的侄子威廉Willem以4000荷蘭幣買下之後, 流傳於家族後人收藏至今。
本件白玉臥牛不但雕工流暢, 用料大器, 選用白玉更是難得一見。雖然有其他的青玉水牛傳世, 但是白玉質的大件水牛擺件, 卻是十分罕見。水牛鼻子上的牽繩由嘴旁掛至背上, 水牛底部還雕有其他的細節處理, 令它格外特殊。牛腹上除了雕有一捆細繩, 還有一張帶濃密的流蘇的三角形串飾編織的毯子, 這張毯子極有可能是祭祀禮儀所用的披飾物; 編織結繩處看似已從水牛頸部或腹部鬆綁, 因而垂散下來。從雕飾手法看來, 編織物與喇嘛高僧所穿著之慶典飾服十分相似, 而且置於腹下部位則如同水牛臥於帶著厚實多層流蘇的編織物上。由此些裝飾配備推測這頭水牛也許剛參與了一場重要或是皇室的祭祀大典。在明清兩朝的宮廷記載中, 不乏牛類牲畜出現於祭典活動。其中如農曆三月在北京先農壇所舉行的『一畝三分地』皇帝親耕禮。祭祀先農耕犁儀式，始於十五世紀明朝, 是一項極其隆重的活動, 以此勸民重農務農並求豐年。赫爾曼 Isidore Stanislas Helman 曾在1780年代鏨刻銅版畫《中國皇帝耕犁儀式圖》, 著錄於1997年香港藝術館編印的《從北京到凡爾賽:中法美術交流》目錄第248-249頁, 圖中可見皇帝身著農服, 右手扶犁，左手執鞭，前面有二人牽牛，而牛背上就繫有一方三角巾。由於與皇室祭典的關聯性, 益發凸顯此件白玉臥牛的重要性。
玉牛在中國一向十分廣受喜愛。在亞洲，牛也稱水牛，在十二生肖中是對應十二地支的「丑」。中國人對牛的認知一向是盡忠職守，勤奮努力，堅毅而不屈, 有力但祥和溫順，其中多少與其助耕生產農作物的角色有關係。倫敦佳士得曾在2003年拍賣過一件玉牛擺件, 上面刻有乾隆皇帝受到先農壇的啟發而在丙寅年 (1746)所作的詩『丑之精， 食之本 。樂彼萬民， 歲賴以稔。』 內文對牛的美德讚譽有加, 亦是對此形象有推波助瀾，廣植人心的效果。
宋朝畫家李唐的作品《乳牛圖》，現藏於台北國立故宮博物院 , 見2002年夏威夷大學出版，Ann Barrott Wicks 編著《Children in Chinese Art》54頁，圖例2.6, 畫中繪有一位牧童趴伏在母牛背上，小牛緊隨在後，引頸低呼，母牛搖尾相應，二牛形體神韻描繪俱佳，親子間孺慕之情，表露無遺。田野的竹叢以及蘆葦，亦敷色清雅，層次分明，為一件很好的農村景致畫。而許多小件的玉雕也可見牧童與水牛的擺件, 寓意生子與豐收。
在著名的《耕織圖》中, 牛更是不可或缺的要角之一。《耕織圖》是南宋紹興年間畫家樓璹所作，反映了當時耕織生產的過程, 受到歷代帝王的推崇和嘉許。清朝康熙皇帝於1696年傳命朱圭重新複製木刻版，計有耕圖和織圖各23幅，並每幅製詩一章，為《御製耕織圖》（又名《佩文齋耕織圖》）。北京故宮博物院藏有雍正皇帝命令宮廷畫工（極有可能是陳枚）精心繪製絹本設色摹繪本《雍正像耕織圖冊》一套。畫冊用筆精工，刻畫雍正帝親身投入耕織生產，人物形象生動逼真，細緻傳神。見1999年澳門藝術博物館出版的《盛世風華》目錄，圖16中便可見雍正像圖冊中有一水牛勤奮工作於田裡。
在禪宗以及道教的觀念裡，也對牛有特殊的親近與好感，令人聯想到寧靜的田園生活，遠離世俗塵囂及煩瑣之公務。其中最好的例子，莫過於宋朝文人蘇軾某日為放牧圖所引發的靈感，進而提筆作《書晁說之「考牧圖」後》，文中提及: 「我昔在田間，晊知羊與牛。川平牛背穩，如駕百觔舟。 舟行無人岸自移，我臥讀書牛不知。」
道教始祖老子，其肖像亦常扮隨牛隻出現於畫中。台北國立故宮博物院一幅畫為明代張路的真蹟，收錄於2000年芝加哥藝術學院出版，S. Little著有關道教與中國藝術一書《Taoism and the Arts of China 》第 117頁，圖名『老子騎牛』。畫家精準地捕捉物象的形體和神態，運用微妙的墨色變化，讓作品的質感更為豐富，描繪的牛隻正是耳廓較短小，頭額部狹長，背部向後下方傾斜，雙角細長內彎的亞洲牛。
與牛相關的故事，甚至可以追溯早至夏朝，傳說中大禹整治黃河水患時，曾鑄造一頭鐵牛鎮洪，其後禹治水有功，舜禪讓繼帝位，禹王登基，以夏為號建立夏朝。數千年之後，清朝乾隆皇帝仿傚前朝聖主，在1755年下令御製一頭銅牛置於清漪園（後改名頤和園）的昆明湖畔。牛背上鏨有80字篆文歌頌讚揚大禹鑄鐵牛以治洪之功。除了沒有牽繩以及慶典披飾，乾隆的銅牛像與本件白玉臥牛的姿態形式皆十分相似。
牛的親民吉祥形象同時具有神話故事背景，令它們很早就出現在早期的動物擺件。在1984年出版的《考古》第十卷, 發表「河南偃師杏園村的兩座唐墓」一文中，第911頁圖例 9:4 及9:5，就提及在定代公元845年的唐墓中出土了一件滑石雕小臥牛。雖然相較之下,也許沒有其他動物如馬匹等數量眾多, 但是明末清初這一段時間, 還是可以看到為數不算少且雕工精良的玉牛擺件。這些玉牛, 連同一些玉馬, 從雕刻的工藝水平及用料大器, 便可分辨出與其他體型較小且品質普通的動物小擺件是不可同日而語。
從記錄顯示, 皇室十分喜愛大型的玉牛擺件, 光是圓明園就流散出數件此類珍品。何鴻卿爵士的藏品中, 就收有一件灰玉牛, 早先為Arthur Jebb上校自中國返英之戰船上購得, 之後屬於The Rt. Hon. Lord Gladwyn舊藏, 見1995年大英博物館出版, Jessica Rawson著《Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing》第375頁, 圖例
來源
Hugo Tutein Nolthenius (1863-1944), one of the most eminent Dutch art collector of the early 20th century
Willem Tutein Nolthenius, acquired from his uncle Hugo's estate in 1944 for 4,000 Dutch Gilders, and hence by descent
Willem Tutein Nolthenius, acquired from his uncle Hugo's estate in 1944 for 4,000 Dutch Gilders, and hence by descent
出版
T.B. Roorda (ed.), Keur van werken van Oost-Aziatische Kunst in Nederlandsch Bezit, 's-Gravenhage/La Haye, Nijhoff, 1920, pl. IV
H.F.E. Visser, Asiatic Art, De Spieghel Publishing co., Holland, 1947, pl. 93, no. 179
Oosterse Schatten - 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Amsterdam, 1954, 86
H.F.E. Visser, Asiatic Art, De Spieghel Publishing co., Holland, 1947, pl. 93, no. 179
Oosterse Schatten - 4000 Jaar Aziatische Kunst, Amsterdam, 1954, 86
展覽
Stedelijk Museum, The Netherlands, 1919
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1954
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1954
榮譽呈獻
Carrie Li
查閱狀況報告或聯絡我們查詢更多拍品資料