TWO BLUE AND WHITE 'EIGHT IMMORTALS' BOWLS

Qianlong seal marks and of the period

Footnotes

清乾隆 青花八仙過海紋碗兩件
「大清乾隆年製」篆書款

Provenance:
A Hong Kong private collection
Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2016, lot 3328

來源：
香港私人收藏
香港佳士得，2016年11月30日，拍品編號3328

The legend of the Eight Daoist Immortals crossing the sea is a popular motif in Chinese art and mythology. According to tradition, these legendary figures possess supernatural powers and represent various virtues and aspects of life. The story depicts them embarking on a journey across the sea, often riding on various magical creatures or objects, symbolising their transcendence of earthly limitations. This narrative has inspired numerous artistic representations in Chinese art, literature, and culture, serving as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and achieving enlightenment. See a blue and white double-gourd vase decorated with the eight immortals, Qianlong, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, accession no. gu00156796. See also a bowl with similar depiction on the immortals, Tongzhi period, in the Museum, accession no. gu00162893.

For Qianlong examples, see a related bowl sold at Sotheby's London, 11 November 2015, lot 47; another sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2019, lot 767. It is even rare to find the bowls in pair like the present lot. Compare two pairs sold respectively at Christie's New York, 19 September 2007, lot 310; and 10 September-1 October 2020, lot 82.

碗敞口，弧壁，圈足。外壁以青花各繪八仙過海圖，周遭有祥雲環繞，仙人腳踏海濤，各顯神通，筆觸流暢，人物生動。碗心飾福祿壽於松樹下，更添吉祥之意。

「八仙渡海」是流傳民間之中國神話故事，亦是藝術品中的常見題材。傳說八仙各有神通，代表了道教中的信仰與文化。八仙各出其謀，以不同方法渡海，亦象徵著他們克服障礙，超越塵世，其美好寓意亦讓此題材被廣泛應用到中國藝術中。參考北京故宮藏一件乾隆款青花八仙過海圖葫蘆瓶，館藏編號：故00156796；另見一件同治款青花加紫海水八仙圖碗，館藏編號：故00162893，其碗身描繪之八仙圖與本品相似，可供對比。

至於乾隆時期之例，參考倫敦蘇富比所售一件八仙過海紋碗，2015年11月11日，拍品編號47；另一件售於紐約蘇富比，2019年3月20日，拍品編號767。而成對呈現的更是罕見，可比較紐約佳士得售出兩對，分別是2007年9月19日，拍品編號310；2020年9月10日至10月1日，拍品編號82。