A large and rare Ru-type moonflask, Seal mark and period of Yongzheng |清雍正　仿汝釉如意耳扁壺 《大清雍正年製》款

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th May 1994, lot 112.

The elegant curves of the flattened globular form, the mellow sheen of the bluish-grey glaze, and the even spread of subtle crackles exemplify the refined taste of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722-1735). The deceptively simple presentations made the highest demands on the imperial kiln’s aesthetic conception and technical prowess. The employment of this form and glaze reflects the emperor’s adoration for archaism, demonstrated via taking inspiration from prototypes of earlier dynasties. Creating such an imposing vessel, with its consummate proportion and rich glaze, required not only highly developed porcelain mastery but also the emperor’s generous patronage that fuelled the innovation in the imperial kiln.

Immediately after ascending the throne, the Yongzheng Emperor commissioned porcelain from the palace workshops, and an unprecedented style began to take shape, which incorporated the emperor’s fascination with antiquity. The Yongzheng interpretations of moon flasks followed the paragons of the Yongle (r. 1402-1424) period, a heyday in China’s diplomatic history when Chinese artisans absorbed and revamped foreign styles; the Yongle prototypes for the Yongzheng potters were arguably a result of the emperor’s outward-looking policy. The body of the moon flask, harmoniously rounded like in the present piece, is reminiscent of a full moon, as suggested by its poetic Chinese name baoyue or ‘embracing the moon’; the poetry in concept must have enthralled the cultured emperor, who commissioned moon flasks of varied sizes both in monochrome and polychrome. See a considerably smaller flask decorated in famille-rose from the collection of Sir Percival David (PDF 824, 29.3 cm) and a famille-rose and doucai flask (37.2 cm) released from the Leshantang Collection, the latter sold in these rooms, 8th October 2023, lot 106.

Monochrome glazes on flasks, however, are more directly redolent of the Yongzheng Emperor’s definition of elegance. The absence of decoration on simplistic forms was a stylistic trend introduced by Tang Ying (1682-1756), the Superintendent of the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. Under his supervision, research into celebrated Song glazes such as Ru, Guan, and Ge wares led to the revival of monochrome porcelain to imitate earlier wares. The glaze on the present flask, of intense bluish grey suffused with a complex interlaced ‘ice crackle’ pattern, first appeared on the Ru official wares of the Northern Song (960-1127) court. The colour had been of the highest class since its creation, even more legendary since the disappearance of the short-lived kiln, and the Yongzheng artisans’ distinctive imitation of it attests to the emperor’s penchant for the classic.

Yongzheng reign-marked porcelains of massive sizes are rare. Excellently proportioned, the present flask required meticulous efforts in potting and firing to ensure balanced uprightness; to match the scale, the application of glaze was thick, which further demanded accurate control of kiln temperature to pull off the classic colour. It was the endeavour, blessed with a touch of luck, that realised this grand moon flask.

Publications record no closely related example, although moon flasks of the Yongzheng mark and period appear in various Song-inspired glazes. Compare a Ru-type flask of slightly larger size (53.3 cm) but with a pear-shaped mouth above a waisted neck, from the collection of Xu Shichang (1855-1939), sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th May 2012, lot 3966; a Guan-type flask, of similar size (50.4 cm) but with a quatrefoil section, once in the collection of Sir Harry (1891-1977) and Lady Garner, later collected by Professor Edward T. Hall (1924-2001), sold at Christie’s London, 10th November 2015, lot 338; a Ge-type flask, also large (51 cm) but moulded with bosses and ‘Eight Trigrams’ to the body, sold in our London rooms, 8th November 2006, lot 173. However, none of the examples seem to achieve the sheer simplicity seen in the present piece.

來源

香港蘇富比1994年5月4日，編號112

此抱月瓶渾圓魁碩，線條流麗，釉光瑩澈，色若天青，片紋緻密，均佈通身，屬雍正（1722-1735年在位）雅瓷之典範。雍正瓷器乍看清簡，實則須御窰瓷匠巧思與絕技兼備。此件將前朝形、釉合而為一，可鑑雍正帝尚古求新。整器結構飽滿，釉層厚潤，體量碩大，難以燒成；幸得天子慷慨扶持，窰業高度發展，乃成此器。

即位未久，雍正帝已命宮廷作坊產燒瓷器，自此開創新風，將天子好古之志寓於其中。雍正抱月瓶乃以永樂（1402-1424年在位）經典為範；永樂治下，明初中國外交強大，瓷匠汲取胡風，融為己用，雍正瓷匠所效永樂藍本可謂明初外交果實。此類器形瓶身周圓如滿月，中文謂之「抱月瓶」，頗具詩意；雍正帝文墨通達，好此情致，多命御窰燒製，尺寸大小不一，單色釉、彩瓷俱有。可比彩瓷抱月瓶兩件，尺寸較小，其一施粉彩，29.3公分，藏大維德基金會，編號PDF824，其二為鬪彩加粉彩，37.2 公分，出自樂山堂收藏，售於香港蘇富比2023年10月8日，編號106。

抱月瓶施單色釉者尤見雍正高絕雅韻。於簡素器形施無紋單色釉之風起自唐英（1682-1756年）督陶時。在其任內，景德鎮御窰廠鑽研宋代汝、官、哥等釉色，仿古單色釉瓷頻出。此件抱月瓶所見天青釉色及釉下冰裂紋為北宋（960-1127）汝窰特有，自問世以來便被尊為最高品級；該窰口曇花一現，廢止後，汝窰之釉更具傳奇色彩。雍正一朝，御窰瓷匠苦心仿燒，可見天子對前人經典尊崇備至。

雍正雅器多小巧，尺寸魁碩者殊罕無多。此件抱月瓶比例考究，塑胎、窰燒皆須分毫不差，乃得端正之形；為與尺寸相匹，施釉稠厚，故而又須嚴控窰溫，乃得經典之色。人力精益求精之餘，仍需機緣眷顧，此件大抱月瓶方得成器。

雍正單色釉抱月瓶雖仿諸宋釉，遍尋出版，卻未見形、色與本件皆相類者。比一仿汝釉例，尺寸略大，53.3公分，然作束頸、梨形口，徐世昌（1855-1939年）舊藏，售於香港佳士得2012年5月30日，編號3966；一仿官釉例，尺寸亦碩，50.4公分， 然瓶身作海棠式，先後為迦納爵士（1891-1977年）伉儷、Edward T. Hall 教授（1924-2001年）雅蓄，售於倫敦佳士得2015年11月10日，編號338；一仿哥釉例，51公分，然瓶身模印鼓釘及八卦紋，售於倫敦蘇富比2006年11月8日，編號173。