A rare Guan-type handled hu-form vase, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng | 清雍正 仿官釉貫耳瓶 《大清雍正年製》款

Japanese Private Collection, acquired in the early 20th century, and thence by descent.

日本私人收藏，得於二十世紀初，此後家族傳承

This exquisitely glazed vase is an archetypal example of Yongzheng monochrome porcelain in its gracefulness and refinement of form. An exceptional example of the technical and artistic perfection achieved at the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen, its sophisticated shape and pale celadon glaze are deeply rooted in the ceramic tradition of the Song dynasty, encapsulating the Emperor’s penchant for these early wares and his insistence on outstanding quality.

In the Yongzheng period, the production of monochrome glazes vastly expanded and celadon glazes were made in many variations. In 1735, recorded by the brilliant and innovative supervisor of the imperial factory, Tang Ying (1682-1756), several different celadon types were included in the list of porcelains produced by the imperial kilns. Tang Ying studied in detail the finest ceramics of the Song period to understand their workmanship, forms and designs and applied this knowledge to the ceramic production at the kilns. Indeed, exemplified in the present vase, the fine potting, exquisite lightness, gentle and elegant form all contribute to a refined subtlety and harmony that finds its origins in the aesthetic ideals of the Song dynasty. 

For a prototype of this vase, which was originally inspired by the archaic bronze hu, see a Song dynasty Longquan celadon example of the same form, inscribed to the base with an imperial poem by the Qianlong Emperor, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession no. 故瓷014094N000000000), included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Sung Dynasty Porcelain in the National Palace Museum. Lung-ch'uan Ware, Ko Ware and Other Wares, Taipei, 1974, pl. 1.

Compare three Yongzheng marked celadon-glazed fanghu of related shape, all housed in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession nos 中瓷000220N000000000, 中瓷000225N000000000 and 中瓷000226N000000000). Furthermore, see several Yongzheng vases of the same form but with imitations of different imperial glazes from the Song dynasty, including one of guan-type glaze sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 14th November 1983, lot 135, and again, 29th April 1997, lot 577; another of larger size, previously in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, sold at Christie’s New York, 27th May 2021, lot 3004; one of ge-type glaze in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession no. 中瓷000219N000000000), included in the Special Exhibition of K'ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch'ien-lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch'ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, cat. no. 63; one of ru-type glaze sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 319, another sold three times, 29th November 1976, lot 525, 21st May 1979, lot 110, and 3rd May 1994, lot 110, one sold in Christie’s Hong Kong, 25th April 2004, lot 946, and lastly, one of larger size sold twice in our Hong Kong rooms, 20th May 1980, lot 105, and 8th April 2011, lot 3014.

此貫耳瓶線條優美、做工精細，是典型的雍正單色釉瓷。本品出自景德鎮御窰廠，體現了當時頂尖的製瓷工藝技巧與藝術風格。雍正帝尤好宋瓷，本品端雅的壺身造型與瑩潤的釉色可見前朝名瓷的特色，亦反映了雍正帝對工藝品質的追求。

雍正年間，製瓷工藝發展一日千里，開始大量生產單色釉瓷，並創燒多種青釉。1735年，景德鎮御窰督陶官唐英（1682-1756）曾在御窰廠所製瓷器單上記錄了多種不同的青釉瓷器。唐英以其對瓷器的淵博學問而聞名，他為了解前人製瓷的工藝、常見瓷器造型與設計，仔細鑽研宋瓷尚品，並將所學套用於御窰廠陶瓷製作之上。從本品可見，無論是精細的製瓷工藝、輕巧的壺身或是圓潤優雅的造型，都與宋朝對細膩、隱約與和諧之美的追求遙相呼應。

此貫耳瓶原型可追溯至古代青銅壺，比較台北故宮博物院一宋朝龍泉青釉例，形制相同，壺底鐫刻乾隆御詩（館藏編號：故瓷014094N000000000，錄於《故宮宋瓷圖錄：龍泉窯、哥窯及其他各窯》，台北，1974年，圖版1。亦可參照同館藏中的形制相近的另三件雍正年製青瓷方壺（館藏編號：中瓷000220N000000000、中瓷000225N000000000和中瓷000226N000000000）。

除此以外，與本品形制相同的仿官、仿哥和仿汝釉雍正瓷壺有若干，亦可作參考。仿官釉的例子有二。其一，在香港蘇富比兩度易手，分別於1983年11月14日，編號135，以及1997年4月29日，編號577；其二，該壺相較本品尺寸較大，曾為克里夫蘭藝術博物館舊藏，後售於紐約佳士得，2021年5月27日，編號3004。仿哥釉的例子可見台北國立故宮博物院藏（館藏編號：中瓷000219N000000000），展於《清康雍乾名瓷特展》，台北，1986，編號63。至於仿汝釉的參考，可依照過去拍場上的三例。其一，售於香港蘇富比，2005年10月23日，編號319；其二，曾三度易手香港蘇富比，分別於1976年11月29日，編號525，1979年5月21日，編號110，以及1994年5月3日，編號110；其三，售於香港佳士得，2004年4月25日，編號946。另有一尺寸較大之例，兩度在香港蘇富比易手，分別於1980年5月20日，編號105，以及於2011年4月8日，編號3014。