AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND IMPORTANT PAIR OF BLUE AND WHITE OCTAGONAL CANDLESTICKS

Yongle

Footnotes

明永樂 青花纏枝花卉八方燭臺一對

Provenance:
Richard J. Livingston (1910-1988) and Jane (née Steinfeld) Livingston (1912-1993), Oak Park, Illinois, acquired by the 1930's
Ann Florence Thomas (née Livingston), daughter of the above, circa 1961
An American private collection, purchased directly from Ann Florence Thomas in 1981

來源：
美國伊利諾斯州奧客帕克理查德·利文斯頓（1910-1988）及簡·利文斯頓（婚前姓斯坦菲爾德，1912-1993）舊藏，購於1930年代
利文斯頓之女安·弗洛倫斯·利文斯頓（婚後姓托馬斯），約1961年繼承
美國私人收藏，1981年購於安·弗洛倫斯·利文斯頓

The result of Oxford Authentication Ltd. thermoluminescence test no.P120g82 dated 10 December 2020, is consistent with the dating of this lot (one of a pair)

牛津鑒定公司熱釋光檢測結果（2020年12月10日，編號P120g82）顯示年代與本拍品年代一致（一對之一）。

For a detailed discussion of the present lot by Mr Geng Dongsheng and Mr Huang Weiwen, please scan the QR code to the special catalogue
請掃描二維碼獲取本拍品單冊，內有耿東升及黃衛文先生專文.

A Note about the History of the Candlesticks from the 1930s to the Present


This magnificent pair of blue and white porcelain candlesticks was owned in the 1930's by Richard J. Livingston (1910-1988) and his wife, Jane Steinfeld Livingston (1912-1993). They had married in 1935 and moved to Oak Park, Illinois.

Jane Livingston (née Steinfeld) was the daughter of Anna Brush Steinfeld (1886-1956) and Nathan Steinfeld (1878-1947) of New York City. Jane was a debutant in 1928 and was known in social circles as the "belle of New York".

Richard and Jane's daughter, Ann Florence Thomas (née Livingston), born in 1936, still remembers, from her early childhood, the candlesticks always being on the dining room table of her parents' large family residence at 175 North Taylor Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois. Ann's father, Richard, owned a successful family bakery, the Continental Baking Company, and was an active member of the United World Federalist Society, serving as a Regional President in the late 1950's.

By 1961, the Livingstons had moved to Wisconsin and from there onward to Florida. Before her parents moved to Florida, the candlesticks and the dining room table along with other family items were transferred to the possession of Ann, who was by then married. After her first husband died, she moved with their three children to a West Coast university town, where she remarried and returned to academic studies. There Ann met a Professor from whom she took classes, resulting in a friendship between the two families. Ann Thomas moved with her family to Florida in 1981 and prior to her move, held a house sale at which time the Professor, who is the current owner, purchased household items from including the dining room table and the present pair of candlesticks. These have been in the possession of the current owners to this date.

Now that this exceptionally rare pair of early Ming dynasty candlesticks has been recognised for their importance, the owner felt it appropriate that they will be admired by the larger public and find a new home.

本對燭臺傳承脈絡

本對燭臺最初由理查德·利文斯頓（1910-1988）及簡·利文斯頓（婚前姓斯坦菲爾德，1912-1993）伉儷購於二十世紀三十年代，二人1930年結婚，居住於美國伊利諾斯州奧客帕克。簡·利文斯頓（婚前姓斯坦菲爾德）出身名门，為安娜·布拉什·斯坦菲爾德（1886-1956）及內森·斯坦菲爾德（1878-1947）之女， 1928年名媛舞會上一跳成名，贏得「紐約佳麗」的花名。

二人育有一女，名為安·弗洛倫斯·利文斯頓，出生於1936年。安至今記得，童年記事以來這對燭臺便一直擺在奧客帕克泰勒北街175號大宅裡的餐桌上。安父理查德擁有一間成功的家族糕點公司，名為大陸糕點行（Continental Baking Company），並且是美國世界合眾聯邦社（United World Federalist Society）活躍成員，長期擔任地區主席至二十世紀五十年代。

1961年利文斯頓夫婦搬至威斯康辛，後移居佛羅里達。搬家時將家中物事贈與新婚的女兒，其中便包括這對燭臺和餐桌。安第一任丈夫謝世後，她和三個小孩搬去西岸大學城，不久再婚，而且重拾學業。安在學校裡與授課教授相識，兩家遂成密友。1981年安搬去佛羅里達之前將家當盡數售出，燭臺與餐桌售與了這位教授，即此件拍品之現藏家。

1981年來，教授將這對燭臺保存至今，十分欣慰這對稀有的明代早期燭臺的價值能為人所知，並且希望更多人能夠一睹風采，為其尋得下一個歸宿。


Imposing blue and white candlesticks such as the present lot, are exceedingly rare and it is exceptional to find a surviving pair. The present pair, hitherto unpublished, has been kept in the same family since the 1930s until it was acquired by the present owner in 1981. They belong to a select group of blue and white made during the early Ming dynasty in the Yongle period.

The present lot appears to be the only pair to remain in private hands. Seven other similar examples in public institutions, which are dated to the Yongle period have been published, as follows:

Three candlesticks are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, two illustrated by Geng Baochang, Gugong bowuyuan cang mingchu qinghua ci (Ming Dynasty Blue and White Wares in the Palace Museum), vol.1, Beijing, 2003, nos.30 and 31. The third one, 27.8 high, is illustrated by the Palace Museum and Jingdezhen Ceramics Archaeology Institute in Imperial Porcelains from the Reigns of Hongwu and Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Beijing, 2015, p.111.

One candlestick is in the Guangdong Museum, illustrated in Guangdong sheng bowuguan cangci xuan (Selected Porcelain Collections from the Guangdong Museum), Beijing, 1992, pl.10.

Two candlesticks are in the Shanghai Museum, one of which is illustrated by C.Clunas and J.Harrison-Hall, eds., Ming: 50 Years that Changed China, London, 2014, p.94, fig.79.

One candlestick is in the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, Tokyo, illustrated in Sometsuke: The Flowering World of Blue and White Ceramics, Osaka, 2019, pl.1 and cover.

A plain white-glazed candlestick, Yongle, of the same shape as the present candlesticks has been excavated at the Imperial kiln-site at Jingdezhen; see the Palace Museum and Jingdezhen Ceramics Archaeology Institute, ibid, Beijing, 2015, pl.113. Surviving candlesticks of this type mostly date to the Xuande period but the earlier Yongle examples are particularly rare.

The distinctive style of the candlesticks was inspired by early Islamic metalwork of the 13th/14th century, but the charming octagonal form is an invention of the Chinese potter. See an unusual nine-sided brass candlestick, first half of the 14th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrated by C.Clunas and J.Harrison-Hall, eds., ibid, London, 2014, p.94, fig.79; and another gold and silver-inlaid brass candlestick, probably Mosul, circa 1275, which was sold at Sotheby's London, 27 October 2021, lot 170.

The trade and diplomatic contacts with courts across Eurasia might have stimulated a desire, especially for the Yongle and Xuande emperors, to include new 'foreign' shapes and designs using traditional Chinese materials including the remarkable octagonal candlesticks as the present lot. Distinctive porcelains in the form of Egyptian, Syrian, and Central Asian metalwork and glass, which were commissioned by the two emperors were made in the Imperial kilns. There is no sign of reproduction of candlesticks with the same form and design after that, even during the revival of the early Ming dynasty prototypes during the early to mid Qing dynasty, highlighting the technical difficulties in recreating such masterpieces.

The octagonal candlestick is one of the most remarkable shapes found in the repertoire of early 15th century blue and white, and they continued to be made in during the Xuande period. See a Xuande mark and period blue and white candlestick excavated from the Imperial kiln-site at Jingdezhen, illustrated by the Palace Museum and Jingdezhen Ceramics Archaeology Institute in Imperial Porcelains from the Reign of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty: A Comparison of Porcelains from the Imperial Kiln Site at Jingdezhen and the Imperial Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2015, pl.84. A further blue and white candlestick dated to the Xuande period, was sold at China Guardian, Beijing, 22 May 2011, lot 3546.

There are several differences in the painted designs between the Yongle and Xuande examples. The most obvious differences are the replacement of the overlapping leaves below the rim by ruyi heads, and of the diaper pattern on the neck by a smaller band of scrolling lotus. The additional zigzag patterns on the vertical edges are also absent from the Yongle examples. Such differences can also be observed in comparison of Yongle and Xuande blue and white wares of other forms, such as moonflasks and tankards.

燭臺八方形，分為上、中、下三層，上層為燭插，中層為支柱，下層為台座，平底中空，燭插和台座均為束腰八方形，連柱圓柱形，形如酒盅倒扣。通體青花紋飾，柱插由上至下分別繪蕉葉紋、回紋、蓮瓣紋。連柱飾錦紋及纏枝蓮花紋一周。台座面飾環海水紋以及蓮瓣紋一周，外壁八面繪八組各式纏枝花卉紋。足內飾白釉，白釉范青。底心無釉。

此青花八方燭臺為明永樂官窯之驚絕珍品，是目前所知在私人收藏中唯一一對完整的傳世品。查閱公立或私立機構收藏，目前所見有以下數例：其中三例收藏於北京故宮博物院，著錄於耿寶昌編，《故宮博物院藏明初青花瓷：上冊》，北京，2003年，編號30及31；第三例較小，高27.8公分，見故宮博物院及景德鎮陶瓷考古研究所，《明代洪武永樂御窯瓷器》，北京2015年，編號111。第四例收藏於廣東省博物館，著錄於《廣東省博物館藏瓷選》，北京，1992年，圖110；第五例收藏於日本出光美術館，著錄於《染付 世界に花咲く青のうつわ》，大阪，2019年，頁1及封面。景德鎮珠山遺址出土過相同器形的永樂甜白八方燭台，但尚未見有類似的永樂青花八方燭台出土，見《明代洪武永樂御窯瓷器：景德鎮御窯遺址出土與故宮博物院藏傳世瓷器對比》，北京，2015年，圖版113。

此燭臺獨特的樣式源於伊斯蘭十三至十四世紀早期伊爾汗國供皇室貴胄所使用的金屬器皿，如美國大都會博物館藏一件十四世紀前半葉的銅錯金銀九方燭臺，見柯律格及Jessica Harrison-Hall編，《明：盛世皇朝50年》，倫敦，2015年，頁94，圖79，以及另一件蘇富比倫敦曾售出的約1275年摩蘇爾地區造銅錯銀九方燭臺，2021年10月27日，拍品編號170。明代早期御窯中，除八方燭臺之外，還出現許多仿伊斯蘭金屬器造型的瓷器。景德鎮御器廠當時可能為了適應永樂、宣德皇帝好慕國外新異的愛好而做出了創新。宣德以後，明政府實行閉關鎖國，直到清代早期才因帝王追求慕古之風而再出現仿伊斯蘭器形的官窯瓷器，但八方燭台則不見復燒，可見其燒造難度及珍貴。

八方燭臺是明早期御窯青花瓷器中的一類重器，始見於永樂時期，宣德時期亦有少量燒製，景德鎮珠山御窯遺址出土青花八方燭臺在折肩處帶有明確的「大明宣德年製」紀年款，但其造型加強了對折角細節的處理，為邊飾增加了空間，見《明代宣德御窯瓷器：景德鎮御窯遺址出土與故宮博物院藏傳世瓷器對比》，北京，2015年，圖版84。傳世品中目前尚未見明確宣德年款的八方燭臺。上海博物館藏有兩件青花八方燭臺，其造型和紋飾更接近北京故宮博物院及日本出光美術館藏永樂八方燭臺，唯館方定時代為宣德，見《上海博物館藏品研究大系：明代官窯瓷器》，上海，2007年，圖版3-24及3-25，在2015年大英博物館《明：盛世皇朝50年》展覽中已經改定為明永樂，見前引《明：盛世皇朝50年》，頁94，圖79左。

中國嘉德曾售出一例明宣德青花折枝花卉八方燭臺，其紋飾及器型更接近景德鎮珠山御窯遺址出土的明宣德青花八方燭臺，2011年5月22日，拍品編號3456。

與宣德時期的青花八方燭臺相比，永樂時期的作品在紋飾上有諸多不同。其中最明顯的不同點在燭插口沿外側的紋飾，永樂時期為蕉葉紋，而宣德時期以如意雲頭紋取而代之。其次，永樂時期燭臺頸部的方格錦地紋在宣德時期被纏枝蓮紋取代、台座的蓮瓣紋被纏枝花卉紋取代。另外，永樂時期作品的台座肩部及底部的斜壁上也不見裝飾，而宣德時期則出現鋸齒形幾何紋。同類的變化，也出現在其他永宣時期同器型的器物上如抱月瓶和花澆等。