A rare blue and white ‘dragon’ bottle vase, Seal mark and period of Jiaqing | 清嘉慶 青花蒼龍教子圖荸薺瓶 《大清嘉慶年製》款

A North American private collection, by repute.

The succession of imperial power from Emperor to Prince, from father to son, is a recurring theme in Qing dynasty decorative arts and paintings, reflecting the profound cultural significance attached to the transfer of knowledge and the anticipation of passing on the Mandate of Heaven from one generation to the next.

Within the decorative repertoire, depictions of a larger, authoritative dragon accompanied by a smaller, more sinuous dragon - often shown in mutual confrontation or dynamic pursuit - symbolically represent the Confucian ideal of 'the old dragon teaching his son' or canglong jiaozi 蒼龍教子, a concept recorded in the Sanzi jing ('Three Character Classic')attributed to Wang Yinglin (1223-1296). This classical text was traditionally used to educate children on Confucian doctrines, emphasizing filial piety, proper familial hierarchy and moral behaviour.

The vibrant tone of cobalt blue and sophisticated execution of the design suggest that the present vase was produced towards the late eighteenth century, during the transitional period when the Jiaqing Emperor ascended the throne, yet his imperial authority remained largely nominal, as the Qianlong Emperor retained substantial power in his role as Emperor Emeritus until his passing in 1799. The distinctly different treatment and positioning of the two dragons depicted on this vase clearly illustrate their hierarchical relationship, with the larger dragon representing authority and power, and the smaller dragon demonstrating respectful submission.

A closely related blue and white Jiaqing mark and period bottle vase, of identical form and with similarly painted borders but decorated with three dragons contesting a single pearl and slightly smaller in size is in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Blue and White Porcelain with Underglaze Red, vol. III, Hong Kong, 2000, pl. 143. Compare also an almost identical vase sold at Bonhams San Francisco, 16th December 2014, lot 8331; and another vase of identical form and decoration sold at Replica Shoes 's New York, 13th September 2017, lot 22

來源

傳北美私人收藏

清代御瓷及宮廷繪畫中，帝位之父傳子嗣、皇權之承繼，常見於藝術紋飾，寓意權利代傳，及天命之交接。器上所繪二龍，一高一低，姿態相對，乃「蒼龍教子」之寓意，典出宋王應麟（1223-1296）《三字經》，以示儒家教化子弟，闡明孝道倫理，申明尊卑有序、道德品行之重要。瓶上鈷藍青花濃豔明亮，用筆細緻，可見此瓶當燒製於十八世紀晚期，即嘉慶帝繼位，而乾隆帝仍以太上皇掌政，直至嘉慶四年（1799年）駕崩之時。瓶上二龍之大小、位置、姿態差異明顯，正寓意尊卑有序，長者威嚴，幼者恭順。參考一例清宮舊藏嘉慶青花膽瓶，形制邊飾與本瓶同，惟略小，瓶身繪三龍戲珠，載於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：青花釉裏紅（下）》，香港，2000年，圖版143[4]。另比一極相似之例，售於舊金山邦瀚斯，2014年12月16日，拍品編號8331；紐約蘇富比亦售一相同形制紋飾者，2017年9月13日，拍品編號22。