A WHITE-GLAZED CARVED 'BEEHIVE' WATERPOT, KANGXI MARK AND PERIOD

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 14th November 1989, lot 152. 

來源

香港蘇富比1989年11月14日，編號152

The unassuming form of the present waterpot, which has been carved with a sophisticated design of swirling clouds, reflects the subdued elegance and refinement achieved by potters in the Kangxi period. Imperial white glazed wares were traditionally reserved for ritual vessels, and innovative scholar wares of this type mark a move away from these prescribed traditions. On the other hand, the motif of wispy clouds was well known in Jingdezhen from as early as the Yuan dynasty.

A closely related waterpot in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated in Zhongguo taoci quanji/The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics, vol. 14, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 127; two examples were sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28th November 1978, lot 137, and 19th November 1986, lot 246, and three further examples were sold in our London rooms, 13th December 1977, lot 553, 15th April 1980, lot 273, and 10th December 1985, lot 272.

Waterpots of this type are more commonly found covered in a celadon glaze; one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong. Qing Porcelain from the Palace Museum Collection, Hong Kong, 1989, p. 147, pl. 130; another in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Ch'ing Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum. K'ang-hsi Ware and Yung-cheng Ware, Tokyo, 1980, pl. 58; one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, from the Gulland Bequest, is illustrated in W.B. Honey, Later Chinese Porcelain, London, 1927, pl. 7a; and a fourth example from the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum, London, is published in Margaret Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, pl. 583. See also a celadon-glazed waterpot from the Diana D. Ashcroft Collection sold in our London rooms, 17th November 1999, lot 772, and twice in our Hong Kong rooms; first on 10th April 2006, lot 1607 and more recently, 5th April 2017, lot 1114. This elegant design of billowing clouds was also adapted for the doucai palette under the Yongzheng Emperor; for example, see a pair of waterpots illustrated in The Tsui Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1991, pl. 112.

本馬蹄尊刻流麗翻卷雲紋，展示康熙御瓷秀麗優雅之風格。白釉器乃傳統禮器，如本品之文士用品，展示當時瓷器突破傳統之創新精神。則屬景德鎮經典紋飾，早於元朝已見。

圖載於《中國陶瓷全集》，卷14，上海，2000年，圖版127；兩例售於香港蘇富比，分別為1978年11月28日，編號137及1986年11月19日，編號246；另外三例售於倫敦蘇富比，分別為1977年12月13日，編號553、1980年4月15日，編號273以及1985年12月10日，編號 272。

此類馬蹄尊，北京故宮博物院收藏一例，載於《故宮珍藏康雍乾瓷器圖錄》，香港，1989年，頁147，圖版130；台北國立故宮博物院亦收藏一例，載於《故宮清瓷圖錄－康熙窰‧雍正窰》，東京，1980年，圖版58；倫敦維多利亞與艾伯特博物館亦有一例，Gulland 遺贈，載於 W.B. Honey，《Later Chinese Porcelain》，倫敦，1927年，圖版7a，再比一例，出自大維德爵士故藏，現存於倫敦大英博物館，載於Margaret Medley，《Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art》，倫敦，1989年，圖版583。另比一青釉馬蹄尊，為Diana D. Ashcroft 收藏，售於倫敦蘇富比1999年11月17日，編號772，後兩次易手於香港蘇富比，2006年4月10日，編號1607及2017年4月5日，編號1114。相類卷雲紋飾亦見於雍正鬥彩瓷器，一對例圖載於展覽圖錄《徐氏藝術館》，香港，1991年，圖版112。