A rare turquoise-ground gilt famille-rose tea boat, Seal mark and period of Jiaqing 清嘉慶 松綠地描金粉彩仿景泰藍茶船 《大清嘉慶年製》款

With the established vogue of consuming loose-leaf teas, an array of new forms were introduced in the imperial porcelain repertoire. Tea boat, also known as tea plates, were small curved-shaped vessels used to hold tea leaves. It allowed for the tea consumer to appreciate the tea leaves prior to its brew.

The present tea boat belongs to a group of turquoise-ground enamelled porcelain wares made to imitate cloisonné enamel, a fascination started by the Qianlong Emperor and continued in the Jiaqing period. Such wares may have been commissioned in sets, as related tea wares of different forms were known. See a closely related teapot sold twice in our rooms, first in London 14th May 2008, lot 717 and again in these rooms, 7th October 2015, lot 3716; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 572.

 

隨着散茶引入及沖泡文化發展，御窰瓷品漸見相關造型及茶具。茶船，亦稱茶荷，乃用於放置茶葉，讓品茗者能在沖泡前先觀賞茶葉外觀。

乾隆之時，弘曆對銅胎掐絲琺瑯器尤為鍾愛，除大規模製作外，嘗下命以瓷仿傚。及至嘉慶時期仍有出品，本品當屬其中。畫師在本品上以描金勾勒，妙仿景泰藍上之鎏金銅絲，流麗線條，對比鮮明，賞心悅目。相關茶具亦有見於其他造型，可見此等茶具或曾成組燒造。參見一清嘉慶粉彩松石綠地福壽延年茶壺，兩度售於蘇富比，第一次於倫敦2008年5月14日，編號717，第二次於香港2015年10月7日，編號3716。同可比較一茶壺例，售於香港佳士得1999年11月2日，編號572。