清乾隆 粉彩牝鹿

naturalistically modeled as a standing deer with a porcelain body and removable organic antlers, the animal gracefully standing four square with its right foreleg lifted above ground, its head raised in an alert expression, with a gentle face, wide open turquoise eyes and flared nostrils, finely enamelled with a white-spotted fur of warm ochre-yellow colour, picked out with meticulously drawn hairs and further detailed with white down on the breast and on the spiralled spine, the exposed flesh inside ears, under the short tail and on the rear painted in pink and the hooves enamelled in black, on a fitted European wood stand set with gilt commemorative medallions pertaining to French Royalty, depicting the 18th century King Louis XVI and the Queen Marie-Antoinette, together with provenance labels related to the Baron Alphonse de Rothschild collection

Alphonse de Rothschild（1827-1905年）收藏

Due to the difficulty in making the porcelain deer and its dynamic form, potting and firing flaws as well as restoration to extremities are expected. The right ear and the tail of the deer have been restored with the original piece-off and retouched with overpaint. The nostrils have also been retouched, possibly restored. There are two fine firing cracks on the luting line along the spine and to the underside. There are also minor flakes, scratches and shrinkage to the enamel, some of which have been retouched or stabilised. The undersides of the head and body of the deer have some original irregularly-potted patches, probably where the deer was supported during firing. There are two old chips to the front hooves, measuring 1 and 2.5 cm; the latter one has been slightly polished down. The hooves have some enamel wear and have been retouched with overpaint. Both of the organic antlers have some tiny chips to the tips and have been restored (re-glued with original pieces).
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

唐英製鹿獻高宗
康蕊君¹

乾隆素喜新異瓷器，品味獨到，但罕見命燒鳥獸瓷塑之例。北京、台北故宮博物院之清宮舊藏中亦無所存；然其製作，確可翻查清宮內務府造辦處活計檔之記錄。

據上述記錄，「乾隆七年壬戌（1742）五月初二日：司庫白世秀來說太監高玉傳旨：將唐英燒造之鶴鹿，嗣後燒造時鶴俱要對面，其鹿脖子要直的」。

據記錄，此批瓷器成功燒製，或耗時三年：「乾隆十年（1745）五月十二日，司庫白世秀將江西唐英燒造得上色尊瓶罐盌盅碟等五千二百八十九件、上色洋漆錦上添花尊瓶盌鶴鹿等七十六件，持進交太監胡世傑呈覽」。

唐英燒製瓷鹿，必嘔心瀝血、傾盡所能，至告成，甚感喜慰，曾作四絕句抒其心懷，錄於《陶人心語續卷五》。然考其燒造不易，常有敗例，乾隆帝覽畢遂令「嗣後鶴鹿不必燒造了」。

瓷鹿存於宜春苑，位於京城外舊頤和園中。唐英作詩文頌讚此作，以「頭角」比之，表「卓爾不凡」之意。

　　　　　珍重宜春苑，銅牌已勒名。嘉實詩載詠，頭角出陶成。
　　　　　頭角出陶成，春遊瓊島春。繡衣隨玉輦，鳴已兆秋風。
　　　　　鳴已兆秋風，青山久養茸。嶄新頭角異，堯圃豢斑龍。
　　　　　堯圃豢斑龍，時雍率舞逢。白雲泉外侶，應自羨陶熔。

同治末年，重啟瓷鹿燒作，據考：「同治十三年（1874）四月十五日，總管太監孟忠吉交下畫仙鶴樣三件，梅鹿紙樣三件，傳旨：著照仙鶴樣三件分雌雄形式燒造二十對，照梅鹿紙樣三件分雌雄形式燒造二十對，鶴鹿俱帶山子」。圖樣現存北京故宮博物院，載於耿寶昌，《明清瓷器鑑定》，香港，1993年，彩圖144及145（圖一）。

工匠看視研習，稱除大型魚缸、鶴鹿外，均可燒製，監督令試燒，所出若干瓷塑皆失其原狀、歪斜曲折，後令工匠先製部件，後組為一體，然拼接跡象則無法掩蓋。請次年開春入季重燒，宮中則欲棄之，故召回圖樣。光緒二年（1876），監督遂送返圖樣至造辦處辦理繡活處。慈禧太后（1986-1908年），自其子同治帝登基，臨朝稱制，操握政權，曾再令依宮廷圖樣燒作之，若干嘗試均告失敗，自此便束之高閣。

中國瓷塑罕稀，傳世珍例，多見於西洋收藏，故曾普遍被視作外銷瓷。中國瓷塑在西方廣受推崇，如德國梅森等歐洲瓷廠，均有效仿之作。該類作品，亦與歐洲貴族家族從中國訂製之西式瓷器，如野豬頭形、錦鯉形湯盌等，頗具淵源，後者多印有家族徽章，廣富盛名。

瓷塑鶴鹿，在中國應為帝皇宮殿或庭院御用。景德鎮清代官窰遺址出土有素胎瓷鹿殘片，見王光堯，〈從故宮藏清代製瓷官樣看中國古代官樣制度—清代御窰廠研究之二〉，《故宮博物院院刊》，2006年，第6期，頁19，圖15（圖二）；據傳，另有一瓷鹿碎片（未見出版）曾出於北京圓明園遺址。

動物瓷塑，僅靠纖細四足支撐，製作頗不容易，故瓷鹿亦有坐臥之姿，或支立於基座、瓷岩之上。與本品相似之獨立瓷鹿，僅五件，俱存於西洋收藏。其中兩件存美國麻薩諸塞州塞萊姆的碧波地博物館，乃 Pamela Cunningham Copeland 舊藏，圖例曾載於 William R. Sargent，《The Copeland Collection. Chinese and Japanese Ceramic Figures》，塞萊姆，麻薩諸塞州，1991年，編號72及104，前者來自 The Honorable Mrs Basil Ionides 收藏，售於倫敦蘇富比1963年7月2日，編號56；後者來自 H. R. H Gloucester 公爵收藏，售於倫敦佳士得1954年5月20日，編號15。第三件，為成年牡鹿立塑，與Ionides收藏之例相似，曾售於蒙地卡羅蘇富比1986年6月23日，編號1040。另一例較大，售於倫敦佳士得1999年4月28日，編號200。最後一例，尺寸小於前述作例，在倫敦蘇富比1986年5月6日售出，編號154A。本品屬 Alphonse de Rothschild 男爵（1827-1905年）舊藏。

¹ 本文據巴黎 LIANG Lian 博士研究所作