A superb and very rare imperial Beijing enamel teapot and cover, Blue-enamel mark and period of Yongzheng | 清雍正　御製銅胎畫琺瑯雁安圖茶壺　《雍正年製》藍料款

Collection of Stephen Junkunc III.

Christie’s New York, 19th September 1996, lot 402.

Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th April 2001, lot 557.

A masterpiece made in the Yongzheng period Palace Workshops, this exceptional teapot exemplifies the synthesis of Eastern and Western artistic traditions with a technical mastery that is unsurpassed. It features a sophisticated palette that incorporates nuanced shades of yellow, red, pink, blue, green, and brown-red enamels, framing traditionally auspicious Chinese imagery such as 'perpetual peace' (sui sui ping an) and 'joy on the eyebrows' (xi shang mei shao), the latter a visual pun on plum blossoms. Adapting European painting techniques, notably the stippled blue background within reserved panels, the craftsman was able to create a subtle chiaroscuro effect that enhanced the vibrancy of the colours without compromising the saturation of the enamel. For further discussion, See Shih Ching-fei, Radiance and Luminosity: Painted Enamels from the Qing Imperial Workshop, Taipei, 2012.

The technique of painted enamels, which originated in mid-15th century Europe, was introduced into China via maritime trade routes and the efforts of Jesuit missionaries. By the early Qing dynasty, these enamel wares were entering China through the Guangdong customs, quickly captivating local artisans who began replicating these "foreign porcelains" (yangci). The Kangxi Emperor eventually established the Imperial Workshop’s Enamel Division within the Neiwufu administration, marking the official start of domestic painted enamel production. By the Yongzheng reign, three major enamel manufacturing hubs had emerged: the central Imperial Workshop (zaoban chu), with significant facilities also in Guangzhou and Suzhou.

Under the meticulous supervision of the Yongzheng Emperor, the Qing dynasty witnessed a golden era of enamel craftsmanship, defined by a pursuit of flawless execution and technical perfection. Unlike his father, the Kangxi Emperor, who embraced European scientific knowledge, the Yongzheng Emperor was particularly captivated by painted enamels, demanding absolute precision in their creation. The imperial archives document the Emperor's direct supervision of the Palace Workshops' Enamel Division, as he closely monitored production schedules and provided detailed critiques of finished pieces.

An archival entry from the 22nd day of the fifth lunar month of 1725 exemplifies his strict oversight:

"On the 22nd day: Prince Yi issued an order to produce a pair of enamel teapots modelled after foreign lacquer 'duck-egg' shaped pots (completed on the 29th day of the 10th month: a pair of copper-bodied enamel duck-egg shaped teapots submitted by Superintendent Haiwang were returned with the imperial comment: 'The decorative patterns are somewhat unsatisfactory')."

This rigorous attention spurred remarkable technical advances during his reign. Under the Yongzheng Emperor's exacting supervision, enamel craftsmen achieved breakthroughs in both form and decoration - often adapting European vessel prototypes while expanding decorative motifs beyond traditional scrolling vines and floral medallions to include innovative landscape and Western figural designs. The technical mastery attained during the Yongzheng period became the definitive standard for Qing enamel work, as evidenced by the Qianlong Emperor's systematic preservation of these pieces.

The archival record from the 2nd day of the third lunar month of 1747 details how the Qianlong court carefully catalogued and stored Yongzheng-marked enamels in special boxes within the Qianqing Palace collection, ensuring these masterworks served as references for future production:

"3rd month (Boxing Workshop) 2nd day: Eunuch Cheng Jinggui reported that eunuchs Gao Yu et al. submitted: 1 copper-bodied enamel zhadou, 1 copper-bodied enamel pot, 15 porcelain-enamel 6-cun dishes.

Imperial decree: To be boxed and stored among the Qianqing Palace collection of Yongzheng-marked enamel wares (On the 12th day of the 3rd month, the 17 boxed enamel items including the zhadou were delivered accordingly)."

This practice not only honoured the technical legacy of the Yongzheng reign but also maintained the highest standards of enamel craftsmanship throughout the Qianlong reign, with each piece meticulously documented and preserved as a model for imperial workshops. This unbroken tradition of excellence characterises the zenith of Qing dynasty decorative arts, showcasing the successive emperors' deep appreciation and commitment to preserving these technical achievements.

Enamel painted gilt-bronze vessels from the Imperial Workshop, such as the current teapot, were almost invariably unique creations or made as matched pairs, with no two exactly alike. No comparable of this specific form appears to be recorded in museum or private collections. However, its decorative elements, such as the yellow ground, the floral treatment, as well as the stippled blue ground are seen on several related works in the Palace Museum, Taipei, including a yellow-ground ‘butterfly and floral’ dish, a Beijing enamel 'floral' zhadou, and a snuff bottle, illustrated in Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, pp. 187, 190, and 259.

Compare also a Yongzheng mark-and-period Beijing enamel miniature vase, sold in these rooms, 10th April 2008, lot 2840; and a Yongzheng mark-and-period Beijing enamel tripod incense burner, sold in our New York rooms, 12th September 2018, lot 277. Both vessels showcase the dynasty's signature aesthetics that the current teapot encapsulates. Its exceptional rarity, combined with its provenance and condition, positions it among the most significant Yongzheng enamel works to have appeared on the international art market in recent decades.

來源

瓊肯三世收藏

紐約佳士得1996年9月19日，編號402

香港佳士得2001年4月29日，編號557

十五世紀中葉歐洲誕生的畫琺瑯技法，通過海上貿易與傳教士傳入中國。清初，這些琺瑯製品經粵海關進入後，當地立即設立作坊進行仿製研究，當時稱為「洋磁」。康熙朝正式成立內務府造辦處琺瑯作，開始自主燒製畫琺瑯器。至雍正朝，全國已形成三大琺瑯製作中心，以宮廷琺瑯處為核心，以及廣州、蘇州兩處重要生產基地。本件拍品釉色晶瑩剔透，彩繪技藝精湛，色澤鮮艷奪目，筆觸細膩入微，必定出自宮廷造辦處琺瑯作大師之手。

雍正帝雖不像康熙那樣熱衷於歐洲科學文化，卻對畫琺瑯器物情有獨鐘，在工藝上追求盡善盡美。他不僅經常過問造辦處琺瑯作的生產進度，還會對成品提出具體修改意見。如雍正三年（1725年）農歷五月二十二日，《清宮內務府造辦處檔案》明確記載：

「二十二日

怡親王諭照洋漆鴨蛋式壺樣做琺瑯壺一對遵此

（於十月二十九日做得

銅胎琺瑯鴨蛋式壺一對員外郎海望呈

進訖 奉

㫖但花紋不好些欽此）」

這段記載充分展現了雍正帝事必躬親的作風。在他的嚴格督導下，畫琺瑯工藝取得突破性發展，器型設計不斷創新。這些作品多以歐洲器皿為原型，裝飾題材豐富多樣，常見纏枝紋、團花紋及四季花卉等傳統紋飾，偶爾也會採用山水畫或西洋人物等新穎主題。雍正一朝畫琺瑯達到的高度成為後世之典範，乾隆帝對雍正款的琺瑯器悉心整理保存，視為珍寶。乾隆七年三月初二清檔記載：

「三月（匣作）

初二日太監程敬貴來説太監高玉等交

銅胎琺瑯渣斗一件

銅胎琺瑯壺一件

磁胎琺瑯 六寸碟十五件傳

㫖着配匣入乾清宫雍正欵珐琅器皿内欽此

（於三月十二日將配得匣

琺瑯渣斗等十七件持進交訖）」

本品完美融合東西方藝術元素並有所創新，充分體現了雍正時期琺瑯工匠的高超技藝。其所用琺瑯顏料色彩豐富，包含黃、紅、粉、藍、綠及棕紅等多種色調，深淺變化自然協調。壺身紋飾皆蘊含中國傳統吉祥寓意，如「八方雁平」「歲歲平安」「喜上眉梢」等。在繪畫技法上則借鑒歐洲工藝，如在開光處的山水花卉圖案中以淡藍色細點渲染背景，在保持琺瑯色彩飽和度的同時，實現細膩的陰影漸變效果。相關探討可參閱施靜菲所著《日月光華：清宮畫琺瑯》，台北，2012年。

琺瑯作所造銅胎畫琺瑯器皿，尤其是壺類，極少見同一器形或紋樣大批量生產，清檔記載所見多為一件或兩件而已。所以遍索公私收藏，與本壺可比對的存世類似作品尚未得見。惟其紋樣可從其他畫琺瑯器皿上比對之，如本件開光上下之黃地牡丹紋，可比較台北故宮藏一件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯黃地花蝶紋盤上之黃地牡丹，見馮明珠等，《雍正─清世宗文物大展》，台北，2009年，頁187；蓋上之花卉可比較台北故宮藏一件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯四季花卉渣斗之紋樣，見前書，頁190；其藍點背景可比較一件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯紫地牡丹蓮荷紋鼻煙壺，見前書，頁259。尚可參考紐約蘇富比售出一件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯黃地纏枝蓮紋朝天耳三足爐之紋樣與彩料，2018年9月12日，編號277；以及香港蘇富比2008年4月10日售出一件清雍正銅胎畫琺瑯開光式「蝠桃花鳥」圖蟠龍瓶，編號2840。以上參考實例與本件皆出一系，為典型雍正畫琺瑯之風格。