A fine and rare celadon-glazed archaistic vase, hu, Seal mark and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆　粉青釉仿古獸面波曲紋盤口尊　《大清乾隆年製》款

Collection of the Matsushita family, by repute.

Kochukyo Co., Ltd, Tokyo.

5th Anniversary Exhibition. All-Stars of the Okada Collection: Masterworks of Korin, Jakuchu, Hokusai and the Ru Ware Kilns, Okada Museum of Art, Hakone, 2018-19, exh. no. 138 (unillustrated).

Kobayashi Tadashi, ed., Masterpieces of the Okada Museum of Art, vol. 1, Tokyo, 2013, no. 39.

This vase is an exquisite example of the Qianlong Emperor's fascination with archaistic styles, inspired by ancient ritual bronzes, which showcases his deep reverence for antiquity. His extensive collection, particularly rich in early ceramics and bronzes, was influenced by Northern Song Emperor Huizong (1082 – 1135). In emulation, Qianlong orchestrated the creation of several court treasure catalogues, such as the Shiqu Baoji, Midian Zhulin, Tianlu Linlang, and Xiqing Gujian. The Xiqing Gujian, finalised in 1749, mirrors Huizong's Bogu Tu [Illustrated Catalogue of Antiquities] from 1123. Beyond mere documentation, Qianlong's antiquarian passion manifested in commissioning artworks based on these catalogues, including this vase, likely modeled on a pair of Zhou dynasty vessels, illustrated in Bogu Tu,  republished in 1588, vol. 7, p. 18 (fig. 1).

The vase is intricately crafted with five bands of archaistic patterns, where the central band features undulating motifs (boqu wen), bordered by stylised kui dragons on the upper and lower sections. This design is strongly influenced by bronzes from the late Western Zhou to early Eastern Zhou dynasty. Compare a bronze lei, late Western Zhou in the National Museum of Asian Art, USA, illustrated in John A. Pope et al., The Freer Chinese Bronzes, vol. 1, Washington DC, 1967, pl. 83; and another bronze lei, early Spring and Autumn period, in the Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Shang and Chou Bronze Wine Vessels, Taipei, 1989, p.183.

The present vase showcases the fenqing celadon glaze that represents the pinnacle of Qing-dynasty ceramic artistry from the Jingdezhen imperial kilns. The glaze pools elegantly in the recessed decoration, creating subtle tonal gradations that both highlight the refined relief work and enhance the piece's archaistic charm. The luminous glaze exhibits distinctive rosaceous undertones that rival the finest celadon glaze examples from Longquan of the Song dynasty. This achievement stems from Tang Ying's 1735 Taocheng jishi beiji [Record of Ceramic Achievements], which documented the successful recreation of "Longquan glazes in both deep and light variants," with the present piece exemplifying the more subtle, luminous interpretation – fengqing.

The vase's glaze quality finds validation in historical connoisseurship, particularly Gao Lian's 1591 treatise Zunsheng bajian [Eight Discourses on the Art of Living]. In the chapter "Yanxian qingshang juan" [Appreciating Antiquities], Gao established the canonical hierarchy of celadon glazes: "powdered-blue (fengqing) reigns supreme, pale white (danbai) ranks second, while oily grey (youhui) is inferior." The present vase's glaze, with its perfect balance of clarity and subtle bluish hue, embodies the supreme quality that Ming and Qing scholars and kiln supervisors like Tang Ying sought to recreate from Song dynasty prototypes, achieving here a synthesis of technical mastery and aesthetic refinement that honours both its ancient inspiration and contemporary Qing innovation.

Exceedingly rare, similar vases are absent from the collections of the Palace Museums in Beijing and Taipei. Compare a highly related example resides in the Baur Collection, Geneva, illustrated in John Ayers, Chinese Ceramics in the Baur Collection, vol. 2, Geneva, 1999, pl. 82. Comparable also another example, formerly in T. Y. Chao collection, sold in these rooms on 18 November 1986, lot 92, and again on 27 April 2003, lot 62; the second one from the Wang Xing Lou Collection, illustrated in Ye Peilan and J. Thompson, Imperial Perfection: The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors: Kangxi - Yongzheng - Qianlong, Hong Kong, 2004, p. 184, no. 68; and the third one from the collection of Empress Shoken, wife of Emperor Meiji, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 3963.

來源

傳松下家族收藏

壺中居，東京

展覽

《開館5周年記念展―美のスターたち―光琳．若冲．北斎．汝窯など名品勢ぞろい》， 岡田美術館，箱根，2018-19年，展覽編號138（沒載圖）

出版

小林忠編，《岡田美術館名品撰》，卷1，東京，2013年，編號39

此尊乃乾隆朝慕古風尚之典範，其造型靈感源自上古青銅器，彰顯帝王對古代器物形制的傾心追摹。乾隆帝對各類材質的廣博收藏，尤以早期陶瓷與青銅器為最。受北宋徽宗啟發，乾隆敕令編纂多部宮廷藏珍圖錄，如《石渠寶笈》、《秘殿珠林》、《天祿琳瑯》及《西清古鑒》等。其中1749年成書的《西清古鑒》即是對宋徽宗《博古圖》（1123年成書）之遙遠呼應。 乾隆帝慕古之除了編纂圖錄，整理內府收藏之外，還下令根據古物圖錄製作其他材質的藝術品，如本尊極有可能便是根據《博古圖》中著錄一對周著尊而作（圖1），見《博古圖》，明萬歷十六年泊如齋刊本（1588年），卷7， 頁18。

器身精塑巧雕，飾五層仿古紋環帶，中部波曲紋為主飾，上下兩側飾變體夔龍紋，整體紋飾明顯移植自西周晚期至東周早期青銅器。其裝飾母題與上古青銅器相呼應，青銅實物可比對者，可參考弗利爾美術館藏一件西周晚期青銅罍，見約翰．波普等，《弗利爾藏中國青銅器》，卷1，華盛頓，1967年，圖版83；及台北故宮藏一件春秋早期蟠夔紋罍，見《商周青銅酒器》，台北，1989年，頁183。周代銅器實例皆鑄有雙耳，而本件溜肩光素，線條更加簡潔。 

器身所施粉青釉乃清代景德鎮御窰廠製瓷技藝之精粹，釉料積於紋飾凹處，形成濃淡有致的視覺效果，既凸顯浮雕工藝之精妙，又強化了仿古意趣。明代高濂在《遵生八牋》（1591年）之《燕閒清賞箋上卷》中論及青釉，他認為「粉青為上，淡白次之，油灰色，色之下也」。唐英督陶以來，致力於恢復宋代名窰之釉色。他在《陶成紀事碑記》中（1735 年）總結御窰廠恢復的古代釉色中記載「仿龍泉釉，有深淺二種」，本品之粉青釉便是較淺一種。本品釉色清潤，泛起獨特粉韻，當與宋代龍泉上品之粉青釉色不分軒輊。 

此類仿古粉青釉尊存世極罕，兩岸故宮皆無，公家收藏惟見日內瓦鮑爾美術館藏一件，見約翰·艾爾斯，《鮑氏藏中國陶瓷》，卷2，日內瓦，1999年，圖版290。私人收藏可比較數例，趙從衍舊藏一例， 1986年11月18日售於香港蘇富比，編號92，後又經香港蘇富比於2003年4月27日售出，編號62；香港望星樓藏一例，見葉佩蘭及朱湯生，《清代康雍乾宮窯瓷器：望星樓藏瓷》，香港，2004年，頁184，編號68；明治天皇香淳皇后舊藏一例，2012年5月30日售於香港佳士得，編號3963。