A fine and rare pair of doucai 'lingzhi' cups

Chenghua six-character marks, Yongzheng

Footnotes

清雍正 鬥彩靈芝祥雲紋杯一對
青花「大明成化年製」楷書款

Provenance:
A distinguished Asian private collection

來源：
重要亞洲私人收藏

The present lot, inspired by Chenghua-period design, is very rare for its apocryphal Chenghua mark, and only one other similar example appears to have been published. See a doucai 'lingzhi' cup, Yongzheng period, Chenghua mark, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by Wang Jianhua, Palace Museum Collection: Ancient Ceramics, vol.2, Beijing, 2005, pl.144.

Compare two doucai 'lingzhi' fungus cups, Chenghua marks and period, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Shanghai, 2007, no.181; and see five further examples, Chenghua marks and period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ch'eng-hua Porcelain Ware, Taipei, 2003, nos.145-149; see also a similarly decorated cup, Wanli mark and period, in the Sir Percival David Collection, in the British Museum, London, illustrated by M.Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming Polychrome Wares, London, 1978, pl.II, no.10.

A number of similar examples, Yongzheng mark and period, are in important museum collections; see three cups from the Sir Percival David Collection, in the British Museum, London, published by M.Medley, ibid., nos.160 and 167; and another from the collection of the Hon. M.W.Elphinstone, in the British Museum, museum no.1925,1028.2; and a further example illustrated in The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Shanghai, 2007, no.235.

The Yongzheng Emperor, though a Manchu, was also a strong proponent of traditional Confucian thinking in Han Chinese culture, seeking to achieve cultural continuity, reflected in him continuing the project of compiling a history of the previous Ming dynasty to demonstrate the orthodoxy of Qing rule. His fascination with antiquity led him to repeatedly send antiques from the Palace to the kilns to serve as standards for quality, models for designs and as inspiration for innovation; see Harmony and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, p.159; and E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662 - 1795, London, 2005, p.245. The present lot exemplifies that archaism in porcelain which reached its zenith during the 18th century.

The Yongzheng Emperor practiced a balanced combination of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism; however, in later life he became increasingly involved in Daoist matters related to the 'elixir of Immortality', even bestowing upon a high official the pill of longevity. The design on the present lot of lingzhi fungus, symbolising the wish for longevity, would have resonated with the emperor's pursuit of long life.

A similarly decorated pair of doucai 'lingzhi' cups, Yongzheng marks and period, was sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 3094; and another pair was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 1 June 2011, lot 3523.

杯敞口，深腹漸斂，圈足。杯外壁以鬥彩填繪四組團狀靈芝，並間以上下對稱的花草紋。靈芝由上下兩芝頭連體而成，中間繪有芝頸和芝葉。杯底書青花雙方框「大明成化年製」六字雙行楷書寄款。

此對靈芝杯從形制、紋飾、款識皆完全仿效同式之成化窯名品。然雍正仿品，多書本朝年款，以此對杯書成化朝偽款者在傳世品中則較為少見，目前僅見一例，藏於北京故宮博物院，見故宮博物院古陶瓷研究中心編，《故宮博物院藏古陶瓷資料選萃》，卷二，北京，2005年，圖144。

成化原型，見北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏明成化鬥彩靈芝紋杯一對，著錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：五彩·鬥彩》，香港，2007年，編號181；台北國立故宮博物院亦藏有五件明成化靈芝杯，見《成化瓷器特展圖錄》，台北，2003年，編號145-149；明萬曆亦有燒造此類靈芝杯，見大英博物館大衛德基金藏一例，M.Medley，《Illustrated Catalogue of Ming Polychrome Wares》，倫敦，1978年，圖版II，編號10。

雍正一朝仿製並書本朝年款之靈芝杯在傳世品中相對常見，如大英博物館大衛德基金會藏一例，參考M.Medley同著錄，編號160及167；另見M.W.Elphinstone舊藏一例，現藏大英博物館，館藏編號1925.1028.2；另見北京故宮博物院藏一例，底書「大清雍正年製」青花雙方框款，《故宮博物院藏文物珍品大系：五彩·鬥彩》，香港，2007年，編號235

雍正皇帝非常重視漢文化及儒家正統思想，他不但重視宣揚漢文化，藉以宣示滿人入主中原的正統性，更將這種思想在藝術創作上表現出來。雍正朝的皇家用器，處處體現雍正皇帝對藝術精細文雅的獨特品味。雍正時期的製瓷風氣之嚴肅認真，更為後朝所不及。此對靈芝杯瓷質瑩潔、工藝精細、器形雋秀、典雅優美，為雍正官窯仿成化名品難得一例。

中國古代將靈芝視為長生不老之仙草。雍正皇帝晚年，特別是怡親王病故後，宮中煉丹情況日趨頻繁，皇宮用器上亦更多出現與長生不老、起死回生相關聯的主題紋飾。

香港蘇富比曾售出一對類似的清雍正鬥彩靈芝杯，2013年10月8日，拍品編號3094；另見香港佳士得曾售出另一對，2011年6月1日，拍品編號3523，但兩者均書雍正本朝款。