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拍品专文
This exceptional flask is a particularly fine example of imperial interest in archaism in the Qianlong reign. The form, decoration and glaze all have links to much-admired art from 'golden eras' of China's past. The form has been described by some Chinese scholars as a zun, which, from the front, the vessel strongly resembles. However, the form of the current piece has been flattened, and so is more closely reminiscent of bronze bian hu. Given the handles on the lower as well as the upper sides of the vessel, and the fact that the only other published Qing dynasty example of this form has a cover, it may be more appropriate in English to call it a flask.
The pierced scrolling handles and flanges on either side of the flask are elegantly designed to complement the overall form, but they too suggest a reference to metalwork of the late Bronze Age, and in particular to the designs inlaid in gold and silver on fine quality bronzes from that period. The relief-molded decoration on the body of the flask also derives from designs cast on ancient bronzes. The confronted kui dragons that comprise four of the encircling bands may be closely linked to those found on bronzes, but the elaborate, geometric expansions, seen particularly in the main decorative band, are typical of the Qianlong interpretation of this motif. A similar treatment of this motif can be seen on a blue and white Qianlong tianqiuping vase offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 24 October 1993, lot 781. Less elaborate versions of the same kui dragon scrolls can also be seen molded on a Qianlong box in the Tianjin Museum of Art illustrated in Tianjinshi yishu bowuguan cangci, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 179; on a blue-glazed Qianlong jar illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, no. A 333; and on a pair of Qianlong gilt-decorated vases and covers illustrated in Sotheby's Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 169, no. 162, and previously sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 17 May 1988, lot 88. This style of geometrically arranged kui dragon design continued into the subsequent Jiaqing reign, when it became heavier and less tightly organized as on a vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 36 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 158, no. 144.
The decoration on the current flask also includes four encircling rows of small bosses. These not only provide a good counter balance to the kui dragon bands, they also suggest a further archaistic intent. Bosses of this type are often referred to as 'drum nail heads' because they almost certainly derive from the nails used to attach the skins to the upper surface of drums. Such bosses were also used to decorate Song and Jin dynasty Jun wares, such as the tripods from the Qing court Collection preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 32 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 28-33, nos. 24-28. Perhaps more significantly such bosses were also used on fine Song dynasty Longquan celadon wares, such as the tripod in the Palace Museum, Beijing illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 33 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 144, no. 129. This is particularly interesting because the beautiful soft celadon glaze on the current flask is undoubtedly a tribute to fine Song dynasty celadons, as well as a possible reference to jade.
The form and decoration of this vase are both rare, but a very similar Qianlong vase with white glaze is illustrated by the Nanjing Museum in Guan ting zhen cang - Zhongguo Qingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2003, no. 280. The Nanjing vase has a small domed cover, and chains are attached to the handles on the sides of the neck. These chains would originally have been attached to the finial of the cover, which is now missing. This makes it clear that the handles and flanges on the current flask were not only highly decorative, but also served a practical purpose. The decoration on the Nanjing vase is almost identical to that on the current vase, except for slightly different proportions and the fact that the Nanjing vase has a key-fret band around its foot in place of the kui dragon band seen on the current example. The white glaze on the Nanjing vase is very thin, giving the decoration an angular quality, in contrast to the soft, subtle appearance provided by the delicate celadon glaze on the current vase. The authors of the Nanjing catalogue, not only point out the archaistic qualities of the form and decoration on their flask, but also suggest that the glaze was intended to imitate ivory. In the case of the current flask, the archaistic intent of the glaze may be two-fold. As mentioned above, on the one hand it brings to mind the fine celadons of the Song dynasty, while on the other it suggests lustrous ancient jade.
This extremely rare and beautiful flask is a perfect reflection of court taste in the mid-18th century.
The pierced scrolling handles and flanges on either side of the flask are elegantly designed to complement the overall form, but they too suggest a reference to metalwork of the late Bronze Age, and in particular to the designs inlaid in gold and silver on fine quality bronzes from that period. The relief-molded decoration on the body of the flask also derives from designs cast on ancient bronzes. The confronted kui dragons that comprise four of the encircling bands may be closely linked to those found on bronzes, but the elaborate, geometric expansions, seen particularly in the main decorative band, are typical of the Qianlong interpretation of this motif. A similar treatment of this motif can be seen on a blue and white Qianlong tianqiuping vase offered at Christie's Hong Kong, 24 October 1993, lot 781. Less elaborate versions of the same kui dragon scrolls can also be seen molded on a Qianlong box in the Tianjin Museum of Art illustrated in Tianjinshi yishu bowuguan cangci, Hong Kong, 1993, no. 179; on a blue-glazed Qianlong jar illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, vol. 3, Geneva, 1972, no. A 333; and on a pair of Qianlong gilt-decorated vases and covers illustrated in Sotheby's Thirty Years in Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 169, no. 162, and previously sold Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 17 May 1988, lot 88. This style of geometrically arranged kui dragon design continued into the subsequent Jiaqing reign, when it became heavier and less tightly organized as on a vase in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 36 - Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red (III), Hong Kong, 2000, p. 158, no. 144.
The decoration on the current flask also includes four encircling rows of small bosses. These not only provide a good counter balance to the kui dragon bands, they also suggest a further archaistic intent. Bosses of this type are often referred to as 'drum nail heads' because they almost certainly derive from the nails used to attach the skins to the upper surface of drums. Such bosses were also used to decorate Song and Jin dynasty Jun wares, such as the tripods from the Qing court Collection preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing. See The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 32 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 28-33, nos. 24-28. Perhaps more significantly such bosses were also used on fine Song dynasty Longquan celadon wares, such as the tripod in the Palace Museum, Beijing illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 33 - Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, p. 144, no. 129. This is particularly interesting because the beautiful soft celadon glaze on the current flask is undoubtedly a tribute to fine Song dynasty celadons, as well as a possible reference to jade.
The form and decoration of this vase are both rare, but a very similar Qianlong vase with white glaze is illustrated by the Nanjing Museum in Guan ting zhen cang - Zhongguo Qingdai guanyao ciqi, Shanghai, 2003, no. 280. The Nanjing vase has a small domed cover, and chains are attached to the handles on the sides of the neck. These chains would originally have been attached to the finial of the cover, which is now missing. This makes it clear that the handles and flanges on the current flask were not only highly decorative, but also served a practical purpose. The decoration on the Nanjing vase is almost identical to that on the current vase, except for slightly different proportions and the fact that the Nanjing vase has a key-fret band around its foot in place of the kui dragon band seen on the current example. The white glaze on the Nanjing vase is very thin, giving the decoration an angular quality, in contrast to the soft, subtle appearance provided by the delicate celadon glaze on the current vase. The authors of the Nanjing catalogue, not only point out the archaistic qualities of the form and decoration on their flask, but also suggest that the glaze was intended to imitate ivory. In the case of the current flask, the archaistic intent of the glaze may be two-fold. As mentioned above, on the one hand it brings to mind the fine celadons of the Song dynasty, while on the other it suggests lustrous ancient jade.
This extremely rare and beautiful flask is a perfect reflection of court taste in the mid-18th century.