Newsletter No. 483

雅 共 賞 / ART iculation 桃之夭夭 灼灼其華 The Distorting Mirror of an Emperor’s Mind 論及桃之花實，往往清純溫潤，又明艷動人， 賞之惜之，令人愉悅喜樂。這件瓷盤，以白瓷 為地，粉彩作飾，描繪出桃花桃實之秀麗： 瓷盤外壁，枝幹敦實，自底部向上生長，桃實 初熟，壓低枝頭。繪及口沿，桃枝突然翻入盤 內。這種在清代瓷器裝飾中常用的裝飾手法， 謂之「過枝」，翻牆一躍，紋飾便突破內外之 界限，恣意延伸。俯視盤內，畫面更加靈動， 枝舒葉展，花蕊粉嫩亦或白皙，點綴其間。留 白處，珊瑚紅色的蝙蝠正上下翻飛，趣致得 意。「蝠」與福諧音，桃實則象徵長壽，瓷盤 寓意「福壽雙全」。瓷盤底部可見「大清雍正 年製」六字雙框楷書青花款。明初以來，官窯 瓷器款識格式漸成定制，以皇帝年號銘器，此 法終清代而不改。帶有「雍正」年號的官款， 將溫潤可人的瓷盤與雍正帝，這位堪稱清代 歷史上最具爭議的帝王關聯起來。 康熙帝御極逾甲，致雍正帝四十五歲才得以 承繼大統。即位之初，雍正皇位的合法性備 受質疑，他生性好辯，又極重名聲，為駁斥誣 衊譭謗之詞費盡心力，更為平息爭議，不惜 殘害手足，殺戮宗親朝臣。而同時，他勤政革 新，幾乎日日宵衣旰食，為歷代帝王中罕見。 晚年，為避免骨肉相殘，雍正帝致力於創立 秘密建儲制，書儲君名諱，密封匣內，置於乾 清宮「正大光明」匾後，奠定清代皇位平穩過 渡的先例……。國事如麻，在位的時間卻只有 短短一十三年，雍正帝得到承先（康熙）啟後 （乾隆）之美譽，亦承受着相應的無奈與苦悶。 這件瓷盤以粉彩繪製的桃實，色澤粉柔，嫩黃 漸變嬌紅，令人不禁聯想到雍正帝曾授意創 作的《行樂圖》之《戲猴》。畫面中，雍正帝扮 作盜取西王母蟠桃的東方朔，以仙桃逗弄樹 上的猴子。一來一往，趣致幽默，明朗單純。 圖冊作於雍正帝即位之前的親王時代。那時 遠離宮廷的藩邸生活，是其在位時期最喜追 憶的片段。細觀瓷盤，柔和的筆觸，濃淡相宜 的設色，令人感到溫暖寧靜。或許萬機之暇， 唯有藝術才可令他憶及曾經恬淡逍遙，懶理 俗世的悠閒自在。而於我們，注視這曾屬於他 的藝術品，或許能夠感受到御製詩集、奏摺朱 批的壓抑審慎之外，一個更加豐富生動的內 心世界。 What can be so special about a dish painted with peach blossoms and fruits in famille- rose hues? Artistically, the inside and outside of this porcelain dish is abolished, just as Nature abhors any boundary between the two. The sturdy peach branches, weighed down by newly ripe fruits, grow from the base of the dish and reach over the rim to hang over or down into the interior. This ‘branching over’ technique is commonly found in porcelain wares from the Qing period. Viewed from above, the picture is even more dynamic: the branches stretch and the leaves shake, cuddling flower stamens in pink and white, while a few coral-red bats flutter in the void. As ‘bat’ is homophonous to ‘happiness’ in Chinese [fú] and peach fruits symbolize longevity, the dish conveys the auspicious ‘double blessing of happiness and longevity’. Six characters fitted into a square are inscribed on the bottom of the dish and state that it was made in the Yongzheng years (1723– 35). Putting the reigning emperor’s name on royal porcelain wares as an imperial imprimatur became a standard practice in early Ming and continued throughout Qing. Historically, this royal imprimatur links this piece of ware to Yongzheng, a controversial figure in Chinese history. Kangxi had reigned for over 60 years, and when he was succeeded by his son Yongzheng the latter was already 45 years of age. In the early years of his reign, Yongzheng was so troubled by the controversy over his legitimacy for the throne and his concern for his reputation that he put many of his subjects, relatives or even siblings to death. But at the same time he was serious about his administration and was exceptionally hardworking and innovative for a sovereign. In his later years, to avoid repeating any blood feud for the throne, he wrote down the name of his appointed heir on a scroll and sealed it within a box placed behind a plaque in the Qianqing Palace. This became a precedent which ensured peaceful succession in the subsequent years of the Qing Dynasty. Although he reigned for only 13 years, Yongzheng accomplished a lot for the country and won himself a much praised legacy. But the price he paid was frustration and agony. Mythologically, the dish, through its peaches of light yellow plumpness shading into vibrant red, is actually closer to one of the leaves in an album commissioned by Yongzheng and depicting his pleasure- seeking moments. In the leave ‘Monkey Baiting’, the emperor impersonates Dongfang Shuo, a mythological figure known for stealing immortal peaches from the Queen Mother of the West, and teases the monkey in the tree with an immortal peach. It is a picture of humour and relaxation, done in bold and simple brushes. The album was commissioned in a time when Yongzheng was still living a prince’s life far from the palace intrigues. The memory must be one of his fondest after he had succeeded the throne. Looked closely, this porcelain dish showcases softly administered brushstrokes with a balanced mix of intense and mild colours. The overall visual effect fills the viewer with warmth and serenity. Perhaps art provided a much cherished respite to the emperor when he could look back to his former carefree existence with nostalgia. As for the rest of us, this imperial dish offers a precious glimpse into Yongzheng’s rich and lively inner world that was kept sacrosanct amidst his busy and discreet routines of commissioning poetry albums and examining imperial decrees. 粉彩福壽雙全紋盤 「大清雍正年製」款 / 江西景德鎮窯 清雍正（1723—35在位）/ 高3.9、口徑21、足徑13厘米 林炳炎基金會惠贈 / 1988.0103 清雍正佚名《胤禛行樂圖》冊〈仙桃戲猴〉絹本設色 北京故宮博物院藏品 (字款 Mark) (反面 Reverse) Famille-rose dish with design of happiness and longevity Daqing Yongzhengnian zhi mark / Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province Yongzheng (r. 1723 — 35), Qing Dynasty / H 3.9, MD 21, FD 13 cm Gift of B.Y. Lam Foundation / 1988.0103 上述「粉彩福壽雙全紋盤」現於文物館之《窯火 天工：香港中文大學文物館藏歷代陶瓷展》展出。 The ‘ Famille-rose dish with design of happiness and longevity ’ is currently exhibited at the Art Museum's Amazing Clay: The Ceramic Collection of the Art Museum exhibition. ‘ Xiantao xihou ’ ( ‘ Monkey Baiting ’ ), one of the 13 leaves from an anonymous album entitled A Life Portrait of the Yongzheng Emperor, colour on silk, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period, Palace Museum, Beijing 05 # 4 8 3 | 1 9 . 0 9 . 2 0 1 6