A longside our themed auction ‘Ancient Civilisations – Neolithic Pottery including the Collection of Ronald W. Longsdorf’, this season’s ‘CHINA / 5000 YEARS’ auction on 25th May showcases a diverse range of Chinese works of art including early ceramics, imperial porcelain, jade, lacquer, glassware and metalwork. The sale also features Qing dynasty monochromes acquired in Japan in the 1980s, imperial porcelain from an Asian private collection and various Hong Kong private collections.
中華文明發展五千年,今季拍賣欣呈專題拍賣「雋永陶泥 – 中國新石器時代彩陶藝術」, 另有常規拍賣「博古五千」將於5月25日舉槌,當中包括各種中國藝術精品,有高古陶瓷、御製瓷器、玉器、漆器、料器、鎏金銅佛像等。尚有多組私人雅蓄,包括一組80年代得自日本的清代單色釉瓷器、亞洲私人收藏御窰瓷器及多個香港私人收藏瓷器精粹等。
This scholar’s studio was a sacred place of intellectual curiosity and artistic inspiration, a private escape to enjoy art, literature, and music. In this studio, the scholar surrounded himself with objects to further his aesthetic pursuits. Nothing in this studio is more essential than the ink brush, a simple instrument that gives rise to calligraphy and landscape painting. As part of this special relationship, the brush pot transcends its function as a holder of the many upturned brushes, positioned so as to not damage the bristles. Made of a variety of materials including bamboo, wood, lacquer, ivory, jade, glass and porcelain, the vessel is often decorated with evocative images of lonely figures in mountainous landscapes or bamboo groves. These scenes present ideas for contemplation, guiding explorations on the very connections between beauty and truth.
文人書齋向來是讀書養性、怡情消閒之所。室內點綴書畫珍玩,體現主人對內在精神及美學的無上追求。文人善舞筆弄墨,擺放於案頭的筆筒因此是文房不可或缺的實用器物。造筆筒可用竹、木、漆、象牙、玉石、琉璃或陶瓷,筒身所飾圖案富含寓意,另外亦流行山林高士或歷史典故圖,可見古人即使足不出戶,也能坐享神遊之樂。
For thousands of years, Chinese art has developed in an outstanding variety of fine materials, from bronze and jade to porcelain and other stoneware. Artists have expressed their creativity through a rich array of media, sharing their unique vision and learning from their materials.
從青銅、玉石到陶瓷,中國工藝歷經數千年磨礪,發展出眾多以不同材料製成的器皿和擺設。各朝各代的匠人嘔心瀝血鑽研技藝,將地球上的千百種元素妙手點化成精緻造物,展示出不同時期的獨特風采。
- Stoneware 炻器
- Porcelain 瓷器
- Bronze 青銅
- Jade 玉石
- Pottery 陶器
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A sancai handled cup, Tang dynasty 唐 三彩單把盃
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A rare qingbai 'prunus' lobed stemcup, Yuan dynasty, 14th century 元十四世紀 青白釉貼花梅式高足盃
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A bronze 'qilin' water dropper, Song - Yuan dynasty 宋至元 銅麒麟硯滴
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A jade 'bird' pendant, Probably Western Zhou dynasty 或西周 玉鳥珮
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A painted pottery duck-form vessel, Han dynasty 漢 彩陶鳥形水注
Magnificent Monochrome
單色釉瓷
中國單色釉,淡可清雅脫俗,濃可雍容古樸,艷可妍麗華貴,從古至今,啟迪了無數藝術家、美學家和收藏家,影響力無遠弗屆。下列單色釉瓷橫跨不同年代,形制各異,反映中國工藝之精緻典雅。
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義
- Legend of Hong Fu 紅拂傳
- Osmanthus branch and the Moon Palace 蟾宮折桂
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A blue and white 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' rouleau vase, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period 清康熙 青花銅雀台比武圖棒槌瓶The rouleau vase depicts a legendary scene from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which the Eastern Han statesman and warlord, Cao Cao, holds a competition at the Bronze Bird Terrace and the victor would be rewarded with a fine embroidered robe hanging in a willow tree.
此瓶繪銅雀台比武圖。東漢時,曹操修建銅雀台,於大宴群臣之日命武官比試,勝者可得掛在垂楊枝上的西川紅錦戰袍。
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A blue and white 'the Legend of Hong Fu' brushpot, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period 清康熙 青花紅拂傳圖筆筒
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A blue and white bowl, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period, yutang jiaqi mark 明嘉靖 青花蟾宮折桂圖折沿盌 《玉堂佳器》款The scene recalls the allusion of changong zhegui (‘to pluck an osmanthus branch from the Moon Palace’), which represents success in the imperial examinations and signifies an official's blossoming career. The interior roundel also hints at the phrase pingbu qingyun ('may your career growth progress as high up as the clouds').
此盌繪蟾宮折桂圖。外壁繪兩官人頭戴高冠,拱手揖讓,明月高掛後方,寓意狀元及第,金榜題名。盌心則繪一官人手執桂枝,腳踏祥雲,寓意平步青雲。
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