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拍品专文
The distinctive form of this exceptional vase is known as ganlanping, or olive-shaped vase, and was inspired by early bronze prototypes, such as the middle Western Zhou-dynasty ritual wine container and cover, hu, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 2003.66.11a, b. (Fig. 1) Like the present vase, the bronze hu features small cylindrical handles flanking the neck and a pair of pierced slots above the splayed foot.
The vase reflects the keen antiquarian interests of the Yongzheng Emperor who collected and studied material from earlier dynasties. His extensive interest in ancient artworks is reflected in two scroll paintings entitled Guwan tu, "Pictures of Ancient Playthings," which act as inventories, depicting antiques in the Imperial collection during his reign. One such scroll is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the other in the Percival David Collection is now housed in the British Museum. Both handscrolls are illustrated in China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, pp. 252-55, nos. 168 and 169.
The ganlanping form was admired in all three of the great imperial reigns of the Qing dynasty - Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, and appears in two types: the first has a waisted neck and flared mouth and slight flare to the foot, and the second has a straight neck and little to no flare to the foot, as represented by the current vase. During the Kangxi period the shape was generally more attenuated. Two vases which exemplify the Kangxi shape, each incised with decoration under a pale blue glaze, are illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, no. A 326, which has a straight neck and no flare to the foot, and no. A 328, which has a tall slender neck rising to a slightly everted mouth rim. The ganlanping shape seen in the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods is somewhat more robust than its Kangxi predecessor. For Yongzheng examples of the first type, with a flared neck and flared foot, see the blue and white example in the Palace Collection, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, Beijing 2005, pp. 80-1, no. 29; another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, decorated in green on a yellow ground, illustrated by Feng and Geng (eds.), Selected Porcelain of the Flourishing Qing Dynasty at the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1994, p. 197, no. 43; two monochrome-glazed examples, also in the collection of the Palace Museum, are also illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, a copper-red-glazed vase, pp. 38-9, no. 9, and one covered with an imitation Guan glaze, pp. 342-3, no. 157; the monochrome white vase illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4 (II), London, 2010, pp. 316-7, no. 1779; and the blue-glazed vase sold at Christie’s New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1157. Although rare, ganlanping vases of this type with flared mouth and foot can have tubular handles, such as the Qianlong vase decorated with green dragons on a yellow ground illustrated in Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains, Plain Tricoloured Porcelains – The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2009, pp. 130-31, no. 105, which also, like the current vase, has pierced slots above the splayed foot.
The more robust ganlanping form of the present vase, with its straight neck, appears to be significantly more rare than the type with flared mouth and flared foot. A Yongzheng celadon-glazed ganlanping vase of the same size as the current vase, and with tubular handles and pierced slots above the foot, but lacking gilt decoration, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 22, and a Yongzheng vase of this shape with tubular handles and pierced slots above the foot, but decorated in famille rose enamels on a coral-red ground, and of smaller size (31.4 cm.), in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Selected Porcelain of the Flourishing Qing Dynasty at the Palace Museum, op. cit., p. 181, no. 25. See, also, the Yongzheng ganlanping vase (16.9 cm.) of similar proportions to the current vase, but lacking the handles and pierced slots, and decorated in falangcai enamels, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, op. cit, pp. 158-59, no. 68.
The rare addition of the gilt-decorated bands of floral scroll around the mouth rim and foot rim beautifully complement the shape of the vase and were painted with great skill. The carefully chosen flowers incorporated into the floral scroll each conveyed a particular wish to those who saw the vase – the hibiscus for wealth and glory; the lotus for harmony, beauty and purity; and the peony for wealth and honor. The fact that these flowers are shown borne on a meandering vine is also significant. One of the Chinese words for ‘vine’ is man, which is a pun for wan, meaning ‘ten thousand’. The ruyi heads below the band of floral scroll at the mouth rim provides an additional wish for longevity. The ruyi shape is based on a stylized form of the lingzhi fungus, which was believed to be able to prolong life, ward off evil and ensure the vigor of its possessor.
The vase reflects the keen antiquarian interests of the Yongzheng Emperor who collected and studied material from earlier dynasties. His extensive interest in ancient artworks is reflected in two scroll paintings entitled Guwan tu, "Pictures of Ancient Playthings," which act as inventories, depicting antiques in the Imperial collection during his reign. One such scroll is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the other in the Percival David Collection is now housed in the British Museum. Both handscrolls are illustrated in China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, pp. 252-55, nos. 168 and 169.
The ganlanping form was admired in all three of the great imperial reigns of the Qing dynasty - Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, and appears in two types: the first has a waisted neck and flared mouth and slight flare to the foot, and the second has a straight neck and little to no flare to the foot, as represented by the current vase. During the Kangxi period the shape was generally more attenuated. Two vases which exemplify the Kangxi shape, each incised with decoration under a pale blue glaze, are illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, no. A 326, which has a straight neck and no flare to the foot, and no. A 328, which has a tall slender neck rising to a slightly everted mouth rim. The ganlanping shape seen in the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods is somewhat more robust than its Kangxi predecessor. For Yongzheng examples of the first type, with a flared neck and flared foot, see the blue and white example in the Palace Collection, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, Beijing 2005, pp. 80-1, no. 29; another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, decorated in green on a yellow ground, illustrated by Feng and Geng (eds.), Selected Porcelain of the Flourishing Qing Dynasty at the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1994, p. 197, no. 43; two monochrome-glazed examples, also in the collection of the Palace Museum, are also illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, a copper-red-glazed vase, pp. 38-9, no. 9, and one covered with an imitation Guan glaze, pp. 342-3, no. 157; the monochrome white vase illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4 (II), London, 2010, pp. 316-7, no. 1779; and the blue-glazed vase sold at Christie’s New York, 24 March 2011, lot 1157. Although rare, ganlanping vases of this type with flared mouth and foot can have tubular handles, such as the Qianlong vase decorated with green dragons on a yellow ground illustrated in Miscellaneous Enamelled Porcelains, Plain Tricoloured Porcelains – The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2009, pp. 130-31, no. 105, which also, like the current vase, has pierced slots above the splayed foot.
The more robust ganlanping form of the present vase, with its straight neck, appears to be significantly more rare than the type with flared mouth and flared foot. A Yongzheng celadon-glazed ganlanping vase of the same size as the current vase, and with tubular handles and pierced slots above the foot, but lacking gilt decoration, was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 22, and a Yongzheng vase of this shape with tubular handles and pierced slots above the foot, but decorated in famille rose enamels on a coral-red ground, and of smaller size (31.4 cm.), in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Selected Porcelain of the Flourishing Qing Dynasty at the Palace Museum, op. cit., p. 181, no. 25. See, also, the Yongzheng ganlanping vase (16.9 cm.) of similar proportions to the current vase, but lacking the handles and pierced slots, and decorated in falangcai enamels, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Qingdai Yuyao ciqi, vol. 1, op. cit, pp. 158-59, no. 68.
The rare addition of the gilt-decorated bands of floral scroll around the mouth rim and foot rim beautifully complement the shape of the vase and were painted with great skill. The carefully chosen flowers incorporated into the floral scroll each conveyed a particular wish to those who saw the vase – the hibiscus for wealth and glory; the lotus for harmony, beauty and purity; and the peony for wealth and honor. The fact that these flowers are shown borne on a meandering vine is also significant. One of the Chinese words for ‘vine’ is man, which is a pun for wan, meaning ‘ten thousand’. The ruyi heads below the band of floral scroll at the mouth rim provides an additional wish for longevity. The ruyi shape is based on a stylized form of the lingzhi fungus, which was believed to be able to prolong life, ward off evil and ensure the vigor of its possessor.