Chinese porcelain goblet of European form decorated in underglaze cobalt blue (qinghua) Kangxi reign.

Chinese export porcelain goblet of European form decorated in underglaze cobalt blue (qinghua) with the pattern “prunus on a cracked ice ground”, c. 1720, Kangxi reign, Qing dynasty, h. 11 cm, 4¼ in; d. 11,5 cm, 4½ in. 1-15204

Illustrated: Yuan to Qing Ceramics, by A. Varela Santos, cat. 32.

Literature:

• China Trade Porcelain: Patterns of Exchange, by C. le Corbeiller, New York 1974, p. 30, cat. 11 for one of different form;

• The Choice of the Private Trader, by D.S. Howard, Minneapolis 1994, p. 187, cat. 214 for two goblets of different form;

• Chinese Blue and White Ceramics, by S.T. Yeo and J. Martin, Singapore 1978, p. 244/245, plate 156 for a similar but smaller goblet.

◆This type of goblet was possibly ordered for the Catholic church liturgy as the shape is similar to the silver or gold ones of the time.

The pattern “prunus on a cracked ice ground” was very much in demand by the European and American collectors during the first half of the 20th century. When a pair of ginger jars with covers with similar decoration, called Hawthorn vases, were sold at an auction in London in the 1920s they fetched the astronomical amount, in those days as well in ours, of close to £20,000, corresponding today to £600,000.

One of this type of vases is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics, by S. Pierson, London 2009, p. 104, cat. 152, Salting Bequest and in Chats on Oriental China, by J. F. Blacker, London 1908 reprint of 1911, p. 193.

中國外銷瓷青花冰梅紋高腳杯，器型仿歐洲金屬器，約1720年，清康熙，高11釐米，4 ¼ 英吋；直徑11.5釐米，4 ½ 英吋。

圖例：《元代至清代陶瓷》，作者阿.瓦瑞拉.桑托斯，2016/2017， 目录 32。

參考文獻：

•《中國貿易瓷：式樣的交換》，作者C. le Corbeiller，紐約1974年出版，參見第30頁，編號11器型不同的杯子一隻；

•《私人貿易者的選擇》，作者D.S. Howard，明尼阿波利斯1994年出版，參見第187頁，編號214 器型不同的高腳杯兩隻；

•《中國青花瓷》，作者S.T. Yeo及J. Martin，新加坡1978年出版，參見244/245頁，圖版156相似但 尺寸較小的高腳杯一隻。

◆ 此類高腳杯大概是以當時的金銀器為原型，專門為天主教堂聖餐儀式訂製。

在20世紀上半葉，“冰梅圖”式樣非常受歐美收藏家的歡迎。1920年代一對繪相似紋飾的姜罐（亦稱霍桑瓶）在倫敦一場拍賣會上拍出將近2萬英鎊高價，這在當時算得上天文數字。

按照現在的貨幣算法，則將近60萬英鎊，亦是價格不菲。這類瓷瓶的其中一隻可見於《中國陶瓷》，作者S. Pierson，倫敦2009 年出版，第104頁編號152 Salting遺贈，和《漫話東方中國》，作者J.F. Blacker，倫敦1908年出版，1911年二次印刷，第193頁。