Newsletter No. 489/490

09 # 4 8 9 / 4 9 0 | 1 9 . 1 2 . 2 0 1 6 雅 共 賞 / ART iculation 時光流轉 瓷韻悠長 一只誕生於瓷都景德鎮繁華盛世的瓷壺，隨大航海時代的浪 潮西去，如今回歸東方，在中大文物館靜靜守候，等待與當下的 您，不期而遇。 今年6月，英國舉行公投，結果顯示英國將脫離歐盟，引起歐洲 政治經濟及社會各層面的劇烈震盪，英鎊兌美元匯價更創下歷 史新低。這場發生在大西洋，看似遙遠的風暴，卻在不經意間， 為文物館創造了從英國購藏文物的絕佳契機。就像這件康熙青 花連蓋方壺，由於匯率調整，文物館得以原價之九成購入，省費 彌巨。 此方壺誕生於康熙盛世，其時，江西景德鎮製瓷工藝登峰造 極，陶人中妙手輩出，器型器類極大豐富。然而，通體方正，在 御廠官器及民窯產品中仍屬罕見。事實上，此壺的設計製作，是 以專門供銷歐洲市場為目的。明末清初，大航海活動開啟中西 海上貿易的黃金時代，歐洲諸國紛紛渡海東來，將明清中國拉 入全球經濟浪潮。瓷器成為歐洲消費者趨之若鶩的東方名產， 歐洲消費者的功能及審美需求亦逐漸成為影響中國外銷瓷器 生產的關鍵。 中國傳統製瓷工藝，往往拉坯成形，以圓器為眾，此器卻是以 歐洲大陸的玻璃方瓶為原型。四壁平直，無法以拉坯造就，須 依樣切割泥板，逐塊拼接並仔細修坯後成型，工序繁瑣，亦更需 巧思，可見景德鎮陶工為迎合歐洲市場而費煞苦心。 瓷器表面東方風情濃郁的青花裝飾亦是為滿足歐洲消費者的 期許而作。蓋鈕頂部書「福」字，蓋身繪萬字紋，寓意「萬福」， 構成典型的中國式吉祥圖樣。更特別的是，壺腹四壁由右至左 的連環插圖，繪出取自元曲大家馬致遠的雜劇名著《破幽夢孤 雁漢宮秋》經典場景。此劇以史籍所載漢宮女王昭君被派往匈 奴和親的事蹟為基礎，明清之際，頗為流行，可見不同版本印行 並加繪插圖，方壺的紋樣範本正源於此。 契合日常所用，又承載著神秘悠遠的東方故事，此件方壺，以及 同時期不可勝數的中國瓷器，皆因此成為整個歐洲大陸追逐與 沉迷的聖物。瓷器易碎，方壺卻因其歷代主人的珍藏，安然跨 越幾個世紀，流傳至今。時光流轉，藝術卻得永恆。 本藏品現於文物館之《好古同樂—文物館新增藏品展》展出。 1 昭君於後宮欣賞樂舞，氣氛祥和安逸。 Zhaojun appreciating performance at the inner palace. 2 使者來報，匈奴呼韓邪單于要求以昭君和親，否則將大舉進 犯，漢元帝及眾臣大驚。 An envoy of the nomadic Xiongnu relays his king’s request for Zhaojun to be his consort and threats of invasion. The Han Emperor and his court officials are terrified. 3 昭君決計為家國大義犧牲自己，與漢元帝訣別，北上和親。 Zhaojun agrees to sacrifice herself for peace. She bids farewell to the Han Emperor and sets off for a long journey to the north. 4 昭君在漢軍護送下到達塞外，冷冽寒風中，緊抱琵琶，神情 堅毅。 The brave and determined Zhaojun, escorted by Han soldiers, travels in the freezing wind with her favourite pipa . The Return of the Native In the prosperous Qing Kangxi period (1662–1722), a delicate porcelain vase created in the city of Jingdezhen rode on the tide of the Golden Age of Maritime Exploration to sail across the ocean to the West. Centuries later, this native piece of art has recently returned to the East and found its abode at the Art Museum of CUHK. The pound sterling started to go south shortly after the Brexit vote in June this year. That created a perfect opportunity for the Art Museum to acquire artworks from the UK—the porcelain vase shown here is an example. Taking advantage of the lowering Pound to Hong Kong Dollar rate, the Museum was able to purchase it at about 10 per cent less of its original cost. This blue-and-white square vase was produced during the Kangxi era, when porcelain craftsmanship was at its peak. From historical records, a large number of porcelain wares in a diversity of forms and categories were produced from the expert hands of porcelain craftsmen in Jingdezhen. However, the vase shown here was not intended for domestic consumption. Modelled after square glass bottles commonly found in Europe, the shape of this porcelain vessel suggests that it had been specially designed for export to the European market. During the late-Ming to early-Qing periods, maritime trade between the East and the West flourished due to increasing overseas explorations and technological advancement. The arrival of Europeans in the Far East also brought Imperial China into the global trade market. Delicate and elegant porcelain wares made in China immediately caught the attention of European consumers and became highly sought after. It was against this background that the functional and aesthetic preferences of buyers and collectors from the West started to play an important role in shaping the design of Chinese export wares. Most of the porcelain vessels produced by the imperial and private porcelain kilns of the time were wheel-thrown into a round or cylindrical shape. A square-shaped vase, however, required a very different and much more complicated shaping technique. The craftsman had to cut the flattened clay slab into the desired dimensions, join the pieces together and trim the edges carefully. The meticulous procedures and extra efforts involved were evidence of a commitment to catering to the taste of European customers. The hand-painted blue-and-white decorations on the vase were also created to satisfy the foreign interest in a mysterious Orient. The knob of the vase’s cover was inscribed with the Chinese character ‘ fu ’ ( 福 , happiness) and its body covered with symbolic motifs representing ‘ wan ’ (ten thousand) in Chinese, conveying the message of ‘ten thousand happiness without boundary’. The four sides of the vase feature highlighted scenes from a popular drama, Autumn in the Han Palace , which is a fictional rendition of the historical story of Wang Zhaojun, a concubine of the Han Emperor Yuan. Written by Ma Zhiyuan, a celebrated playwright during the Yuan dynasty, the drama enjoyed high popularity in the late Ming to early Qing periods. A wide selection of its scripts with illustrations were published. The paintings on the square vase were inspired by these illustrations. Serving the practical use of a houseware, the square vase, like many other porcelain wares produced at that time, carried a mysterious legend from the distant Orient, appealed to many European consumers and connoisseurs with a passion for the exotic. Despites its fragility, this Kangxi blue-and-white vase had been carefully preserved by its masters and passed down through the centuries, making it a timeless piece of art for porcelain lovers from across the continent. This vase is currently exhibited at the Recent Acquisitions of the Art Museum Exhibition at Gallery II, the Art Museum. 青花方壺連蓋 江西景德鎮窯 清康熙（1662 – 1722） 連蓋高31厘米 大學購藏 2016.0054 Blue-and-White Square Vase and Cover Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province Kangxi, Qing (1662–1722) Height (with cover) 31 cm University Purchase 2016.0054 1 2 3 4