Footnotes

清雍正 粉彩靈仙祝壽紋長頸瓶 青花「大清雍正年製」楷書款

Provenance 來源:
According to the family, acquired by Hans Goldstein probably between 1948-1981 and thence by descent

據說此拍品由Hans Goldstein或於1948-1981年間購得，並由家族繼承

The vase is a superb example of the high technical standards and artistry gained on famille rose porcelains from the Yongzheng reign. With the innovation of the famille rose palette including opaque and semi-opaque enamels, a wider range of colours fired on porcelain that appeared softer and gentler was perfected in the Yongzheng period. These graduated shades of pink, white and yellow enamels were expertly used by craftsmen to render delicate shading, making designs more complex and pleasing. The narcissus blooms of the present vase exemplify this, exhibiting subtle different hues of white ranging from fine pure white to yellowish and greenish white tones.

The composition of the decoration, with undulating stems and leaves with clusters of ripe berries above and various views of full blooms and buds, also exhibit the aesthetic sensibilities and astute artistry favoured in the Yongzheng period. The use of the vivid iron-red enamel for the nandina against the softer and gentler famille rose hues also provides a pleasing visual contrast.

For examples of Yongzheng famille rose vessels demonstrating a similar aesthetic of asymmetrical and irregular, spreading, composition lines formed by gnarled branches or long stems, see a larger famille rose vase, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period, with large branches of peony, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Ceramics Gallery of the Palace Museum, Part II, Beijing, 2008, p.430, no.342. Compare also another, but larger, famille rose globular vase, Yongzheng/Qianlong, decorated with magnolias and peonies, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2013, lot 3438.

The combination of nandina berries, tianzhu 天竺, and narcissus, shuixian 水仙, form a rebus for 'heavenly immortal'. Together with the fungus, lingzhi 靈芝, they form the auspicious phrase 'heavenly immortal, longevity fungus'. This group of decoration, symbolising the wish for health and a long life, was therefore very appropriate to mark an imperial birthday celebration.

Although this combination of plants and flowers is frequently seen on Yongzheng doucai wares, it is rare to find them on famille rose vessels such as on the present vase. Often famille rose vessels of the period depict nandina and lingzhi with orchids or magnolia; compare a faux-bois famille rose brushpot, Yongzheng mark and period, from the Qing Court Collection, with very similar treatment of narcissus flowers, illustrated in Fire and Colour, Imperial Kiln Porcelain of Qing Dynasty from the Palace Museum Collection, Macau, 2011, p.221, no.85. See also a famille rose dish, Yongzheng mark and period, decorated with narcissus together with a spray of roses, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Ceramics, Porcelain of the Qing Dynasty 1644-1911, London, 1986, p.111, no.94.

此雍正粉彩瓷以白地彩繪為主，其胎體薄輕，釉面純淨，充分襯托出粉彩之嬌麗。白地上施粉、白、黃三色，彩繪出水仙、天竺和靈芝紋飾，富見自然氣息，形象栩栩如生，令人賞心悅目，充分表現出恰到好處的典雅和優美，無疑能代表雍正粉彩瓷器最高水平之佳作。

故宮博物院藏一件尺寸較大的清雍正粉彩桃花紋直頸瓶，同樣落有「大清雍正年製」楷書款，外壁繪桃樹一株，蔓遍器身，其層次分明及富有立體效果的構圖與本器相似，氣質高雅，著錄於《故宮陶瓷館，下編》，北京，2008年，頁430，編號342。另外對比一件尺寸較大繪有牡丹玉蘭紋的粉彩瓶，為清雍正/乾隆時期，拍賣於香港佳士得，2013年11月27日，拍品3438。

此器中所繪天竺、水仙和靈芝，寓「芝仙祝壽」之意，也會用於宮廷慶帝后壽誕之時，是雍正時期常見之紋飾。

此類構圖較常見於鬥彩作品上，類似於本器的粉彩瓷中，在傳世品中非常少見。請參考一件現藏於故宮博物院的清雍正仿木紋釉粉彩水仙花筆筒，見《鬥色爭妍：故宮藏清代御窯瓷器精品集》，澳門，2011年，頁221，編號85。再對比一件雍正帶款粉彩水仙牡丹紋盤，藏於倫敦維多利亞和阿爾伯博物館，倫敦，1986年，頁111，編號94。