拍賣筆記 vol.134 佳士得紐約：清雍正粉彩萱草紋盃，138.1萬美元成交 - A Yongzheng Famille Rose 'Daylily' Cup
- SACA
- Mar 22
- 10 min read
爭奪激烈，138.1萬美元（1098萬港元）售出，導致一時間有不少好事者跳出來說自己是「陪跑 / Loser」藉此爭奪流量。可見此盃的魅力不僅可以售出超過1000萬，還可以讓人放棄顏面尊嚴，值得關注。
The rare cup, after an intense bidding competition, was eventually sold for 1.381 million USD, triggering a surge of social media claims from individuals self-identifying as "pei pao" (losers / underbidder) in attempts to seek attention.
This phenomenon underscores the cup's dual significance: its extraordinary market valuation exceeding 10 million Hong Kong dollars, and its capacity to motivate public displays of attention seeking behavior at the expense of personal dignity. The case presents noteworthy implications for understanding value construction in collector markets and performative identity in digital environments."
本盃原為紐約知名藏家比阿特麗斯（卒於2016年）與亨利（卒於2001年）·戈德施密特夫婦舊藏。戈德施密特夫婦於1970年代開始收藏清康熙、雍正及乾隆時期的御瓷，曾從Marchant、J.J. Lally及Roger Keverne等著名古董商處購藏珍品。相關詳見R. Davids及D. Jellinek著《傳承：英美中國陶瓷收藏家、古董商與學者》，英國，2011年，頁198-199。
北美重要私人收藏
清雍正 粉彩萱草紋盃 雙圈六字楷書款
YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)
成交價
美元 1,381,000
估價
美元 400,000 – 美元 600,000
拍品終止拍賣:
2025年3月21日
3 5⁄8 in. (9.2 cm.) diam.
來源
私人珍藏，紐約
紐約私人珍藏；紐約蘇富比，1983年6月15日，拍品編號346
Beatrice (2016 年逝) 暨 Henry (2001年逝) Goldschmidt 伉儷珍藏，紐約
The Goldschmidt Collection of Qing Imperial Porcelain；香港蘇富比，1990年11月13日，拍品編號40(封面)
出版
蘇富比， 《香港蘇富比二十周年》，香港， 1993年，頁208，編號282
此盃造型雅緻，紋飾繪畫精妙，呈現雍正年間粉彩瓷器的極高水準。盃上繪以萱草及石竹花，筆法生動細膩。淡黃色的萱草花呈喇叭狀，花瓣頂端微微捲曲，營造出流動輕盈之美感。石竹花則採用18世紀初期開始流行的粉紅色琺瑯彩，色澤嬌豔柔和，內壁亦有粉紅色花卉裝飾。
在中國文化中，萱草如同菊花一般，有著深厚的文學淵源。《詩經》及《神農本草經》等典籍均有記載。早在公元一世紀，萱草便已傳至西亞，古羅馬學者普林尼（公元23-79年）及希臘籍醫學家、藥物學家迪奧斯科里德斯（約公元40-90年）在其著作《藥物誌》中亦有所述。
萱草在中國文化中不僅具有美學價值，更寓意吉祥。「萱」字傳統上是對母親的尊稱，萱草因此象徵長壽，常用以祝福母親延年益壽。此外，萱草在中醫藥領域用於治療發熱及肝臟疾患，在中國亦稱作「忘憂草」或「宜男草」，據傳有舒緩憂思、提升情緒的功效。過去孕婦配戴萱草，更被認為有助於生子。
萱草紋飾早於宋代即廣受歡迎，如國立故宮博物院所藏定窯器物中即有萱草紋盤（參見1987年臺北出版《定窯白瓷特展圖錄》，編號28）。宋代萱草紋飾自然生動，與本盃紋飾之鮮活生氣相呼應。此類紋飾亦在明代宮廷器皿上延續，如香港1989年出版《永樂宣德御窯瓷器：景德鎮明御窯廠遺址出土瓷器》中所記載的宣德款盤，頁184-185。
本件萱草紋盃設計極為罕見，尚未見完全相同之例。極少有瓷盃僅繪萱草與石竹，而不加繪岩石或昆蟲等其他紋樣。與此相近的例子見於玫茵堂收藏的一對雍正款盃，唯另有岩石紋飾，刊載於康蕊君（R. Krahl）編《玫茵堂中國陶瓷》卷二，倫敦，1994年，頁276-277，編號963。另有器型較闊，紋飾相似但加入蝴蝶及其他花卉的粉彩碗，2010年5月31日於佳士得香港拍賣（編號2811）。紐約大都會藝術博物館亦藏有類似製作工藝及自然主義風格花卉的瓷碗，詳見瓦倫斯坦（S. Valenstein）著《中國陶瓷手冊》，紐約，1975年，圖版151。臺北故宮博物院藏有相似紋飾但另配有其他花卉及詩句的雍正款盤（藏品編號017063N000000000）。
本盃原為紐約知名藏家比阿特麗斯（卒於2016年）與亨利（卒於2001年）·戈德施密特夫婦舊藏。戈德施密特夫婦於1970年代開始收藏清康熙、雍正及乾隆時期的御瓷，曾從Marchant、J.J. Lally及Roger Keverne等著名古董商處購藏珍品。相關詳見R. Davids及D. Jellinek著《傳承：英美中國陶瓷收藏家、古董商與學者》，英國，2011年，頁198-199。
常見問題解答：清雍正粉彩萱草紋盃
此雍正粉彩萱草紋盃及其近期拍賣結果有何意義？
此盃為清代雍正年間（1723-1735）精美御製瓷器，近期在佳士得紐約拍賣中以138.1萬美元成交，大幅超出原估價40萬至60萬美元，凸顯其卓越品質、稀有性及收藏價值。
此盃有哪些主要紋飾元素？
盃上以粉彩琺瑯技法繪製萱草及石竹花。淡黃色的萱草花呈喇叭狀，花瓣末端輕微捲曲，具流動感。石竹花則採用十八世紀初流行的柔和粉紅色琺瑯，內壁亦飾有同色系花卉。盃上僅繪這兩種花卉，未添加常見的岩石或昆蟲紋樣，尤其罕見。
萱草紋飾在中國歷史文化中有何重要性？
萱草在中國文化中具深厚的文學淵源，見於《詩經》及《神農本草經》等典籍。「萱」字為母親的尊稱，萱草象徵長壽，常用以祝福母親。此外，萱草在傳統醫藥中有「忘憂草」或「宜男草」之稱，據說能驅散憂鬱，寓意美好。
此盃上的萱草紋飾是否為雍正時期特有？
並非如此，萱草紋飾自宋代即流行，常見於定窯等名品，並持續至明代宮廷瓷器。此盃的萱草紋則充分體現了雍正時期粉彩瓷器在工藝及藝術上的高度成就。
為何此萱草紋盃如此罕見？
此盃之罕見源於其特殊的紋飾組合，僅繪萱草及石竹，未添加其他常見元素如岩石或昆蟲。類似作品多加繪其他紋樣，而完全相同的簡約紋飾目前尚無已知刊例。
此雍正萱草紋盃的收藏來歷為何？
此盃收藏歷史清晰，曾為紐約私人藏品，1983年在紐約蘇富比拍賣，後由知名收藏家戈德施密特夫婦收藏。戈德施密特夫婦收藏的康熙、雍正、乾隆御瓷享譽國際，曾於1990年在香港拍賣。
盃上所署款識的意義為何？
盃底以青花書「雍正年製」六字雙圈款，代表此器為雍正年間官窯燒造，專供宮廷使用。
此盃如何反映雍正瓷器的藝術成就？
此雍正粉彩萱草紋盃展現了雍正時期瓷藝的卓越工藝水準。精緻自然的花卉紋飾、細膩的琺瑯彩繪及典雅器型，皆彰顯出雍正年間御窯瓷器的藝術創新精神，並以簡潔雅緻的風格體現當時宮廷的審美追求。
Property from an Important North American Private Collection
A VERY RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL FAMILLE ROSE 'DAYLILY' CUP
YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN A DOUBLE CIRCLE AND OF THE PERIOD (1723-1735)
Price realised
USD 1,381,000
Estimate
USD 400,000 – USD 600,000
Closed:
21 Mar 2025
3 5⁄8 in. (9.2 cm.) diam.
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, New York.
Property from a New York Private Collection; Sotheby's New York, 15 June 1983, lot 346.
Beatrice (d. 2016) and Henry (d. 2001) Goldschmidt Collection, New York.
The Goldschmidt Collection of Qing Imperial Porcelain; Sotheby's Hong Kong, 13 November 1990, lot 40 (cover lot).
LITERATURE
Sotheby's, Sotheby's Hong Kong Twenty Years, Hong Kong, 1993, p. 208, no. 282.
This exquisite cup features masterfully painted daylilies and dianthus, exemplifying the finest Yongzheng-period enamels. The pale yellow, trumpet-shaped daylilies are depicted with petals elegantly curling at their tips, creating a subtle impression of movement. The dianthus flowers are painted and delicately shaded in pink enamel, which newly began to be used in the early 18th century. The pink is also applied to the flower on the interior.
Daylilies, like chrysanthemums, boast a rich literary history in China. They are mentioned in the Shi Jing (Book of Odes) and the ancient Shen Nong Bencao Jing (Herbal Classic of Shen Nong). By the 1st century AD, daylilies were known in Western Asia, appearing in the writings of Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) and the Cilician physician, pharmacologist, and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides (c. AD 40–90) in his De Materia Medica.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, daylilies hold auspicious associations in Chinese culture, making them a popular motif in decorative arts. In Chinese, the daylily is known as xuancao, with "xuan" being a traditional honorific term for one's mother. The flower symbolizes longevity, allowing it to honor mothers and wish them long life. Additionally, daylilies were used in traditional medicine to treat fevers and liver ailments. In China, they are also called wangyoucao (grief-dispelling plant) or yi'nancao (boy-favoring herb), as they were believed to lift spirits and banish grief. Pregnant women wearing daylilies were thought to be more likely to bear a son.
The daylily motif was popular in the Song dynasty and found on elite Ding wares and dishes, such as on a basin of larger size from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition of Ting Ware White Porcelain, Taipei, 1987, no. 28. These freely rendered daylilies on Song bowls are reminiscent of the bold and naturalistic daylilies on the present bowl. This design remained popular through the Ming dynasty, where it was found on the elite palace bowls and dishes, such as the Xuande-marked dish illustrated in Imperial Porcelain of the Yongle and Xuande Periods: Excavated from the Site of the Ming Imperial Factory at Jingdezhen, Hong Kong, 1989, pp. 184-85.
The design on the present cup is very rare and no other bowl of this exact pattern appears to have been published. It is very rare to find a bowl decorated with only daylily and dianthus without the addition of other motifs, such as rocks or insects. A pair of Yongzheng-marked cups similarly decorated with daylily and dianthus, but with the addition of rocks, is in the Meiyintang collection, and is illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection: Vol. 2, London, 1994. Pp. 276-77, no. 963. A famille rose bowl of broader form with nearly identically painted daylilies and dianthus, but with the addition of butterflies and additional flowers, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 2811. See, also, the bowl in The Metropolitan Museum of Art decorated with different flowers, but featuring similar fine potting and delicate naturalistic rendering of the flowers, illustrated by S. Valenstein, A Handbook of Chinese Ceramics, New York, 1975, pl. 151. Finely painted porcelains featuring daylilies are also found on other Yongzheng-period ceramics, along with other assorted flowers, rocks, and colophons, as seen with the Yongzheng-marked dish in the Palace Museum, Taipei, no. 017063N000000000.
The present cup was formerly in the collection of Beatrice (d. 2016) and Henry (d. 2001) Goldschmidt of New York, distinguished collectors of imperial Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong porcelain. The Goldschmidts began collecting in the 1970s while traveling in Asia and purchased much of their collection from renowned dealers such as Marchant, J. J. Lally and Roger Keverne. See R. Davids and D. Jellinek, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers and Scholars in the Field of Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Great Britain, 2011, pp. 198-99.
Frequently Asked Questions: Yongzheng Famille Rose 'Daylily' Cup
1. What is the significance of the Yongzheng Famille Rose 'Daylily' Cup and its recent auction result? The Yongzheng Famille Rose 'Daylily' Cup is a highly exquisite piece of Qing dynasty imperial porcelain from the Yongzheng period (1723-1735). Its recent auction at Christie's New York saw it achieve a price of USD 1,381,000, significantly exceeding its estimated value of USD 400,000 – USD 600,000. This high price underscores the exceptional quality, rarity, and desirability of such imperial ceramics among collectors.
2. What are the key decorative elements of this particular cup? The cup is adorned with finely painted daylilies (萱草) and dianthus (石竹花) using the famille rose (粉彩) enameling technique. The pale yellow daylilies are depicted with trumpet-shaped blooms and delicately curled petals, conveying a sense of movement. The dianthus flowers are rendered in a soft, early 18th-century style pink enamel, with the color also appearing on an interior flower. Notably, the design focuses primarily on these two floral motifs without the common addition of elements like rocks or insects, making it a particularly rare composition.
3. What is the historical and cultural significance of the daylily motif in China? The daylily holds deep cultural and literary significance in China, with mentions in ancient texts like the Shi Jing (Book of Odes) and the Shen Nong Bencao Jing (Herbal Classic of Shen Nong). Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the daylily (xuancao) is symbolically associated with longevity and is traditionally used as an honorific term for mothers, making it a popular motif to wish mothers a long life. It also has a history in traditional Chinese medicine and is known as the "grief-dispelling plant" (wangyoucao) or "boy-favoring herb" (yi'nancao).
4. Is the daylily motif on this cup unique to the Yongzheng period? No, the daylily motif has a long history in Chinese decorative arts, predating the Yongzheng period. It was popular during the Song dynasty, appearing on elite wares like Ding ceramics. The tradition continued into the Ming dynasty on imperial porcelain. The Yongzheng rendition on this cup, however, exemplifies the high technical and artistic standards of the period's famille rose enameling.
5. What makes this particular Yongzheng 'Daylily' Cup so rare? The rarity of this cup stems from its specific decorative composition. It is unusual to find a Yongzheng famille rose cup featuring only daylilies and dianthus without the inclusion of other common motifs like rocks or insects. While similar examples exist, such as a pair in the Meiyintang collection that includes rocks, and other bowls with additional flowers and butterflies, no other published cup appears to have this exact, simplified floral arrangement.
6. What is the provenance of this Yongzheng 'Daylily' Cup? This cup has a well-documented provenance, having been part of several notable collections. It was once in a New York private collection and was sold at Sotheby's New York in 1983. Subsequently, it became part of the esteemed collection of Beatrice and Henry Goldschmidt, renowned collectors of Qing imperial porcelain from the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods. Their collection was later sold in Hong Kong in 1990.
7. What does the inscription on the cup signify? The cup bears a six-character Yongzheng mark (雍正年製) written in underglaze blue within a double circle. This mark indicates that the cup was officially produced during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (1723-1735) and was likely intended for use within the imperial court.
8. How does this cup reflect the artistic achievements of Yongzheng-period porcelain? This Yongzheng Famille Rose 'Daylily' Cup is a testament to the sophisticated artistry and technical mastery of porcelain production during the Yongzheng reign. The delicate and naturalistic rendering of the floral motifs, the subtle shading of the famille rose enamels, and the refined shape of the cup all exemplify the high standards and innovative spirit that characterized this period of Chinese ceramic history. The focus on elegant simplicity in the decoration further highlights the distinct aesthetic of the Yongzheng court.
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