拍賣筆記 vol.178 蘇富比香港：唐琉璃寶缽 - A Possibly Unique Large Glass Holy Bowl, Tang Dynasty

這件器物2019年曾經拍過437.5萬港元。傳承十分顯赫，但是由於是孤品，所以很難有準確比對的器物。這種器物非常適合持續研究⋯

儘管自青銅時代起中國即有玻璃製作紀錄，然其真正廣泛流行尚需待外來影響經由絲綢之路傳入，尤以南北朝至唐代為最。此一時期，自伊朗、敘利亞乃至羅馬帝國等地輸入的透明玻璃器皿，因其晶瑩剔透且質輕堅固而備受推崇，進而刺激本地玻璃製作復興，技法亦受進口器之深遠影響。

400萬起拍，420萬拍賣官自己叫一口，大概沒有什麼人叫價。準備流拍⋯⋯

唐代大型琉璃寶缽考

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唐　琉璃寶缽

A highly important and possibly unique large glass holy bowl, Tang dynasty | 唐　琉璃寶缽

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Session begins in

May 7, 10:45 AM CST

Estimate

5,000,000 - 10,000,000 HKD

2019年成交價格437.5萬港元

現場圖：

Description

w. 31 cm

來源

達古齋主人宗傑霍明志（1880?-1949?年）收藏，北京，1930年或更早

巴黎德魯奧大樓，1932年2月15日，編號153

安德烈．波特爾（1963年卒）收藏

倫敦佳士得1985年4月16日，編號284

香港蘇富比2019年10月8日，編號3628

出版

宗傑霍明志，《達古齋古證錄》，北京，1930年，頁409下

唐代琉璃 ：Tang Dynasty Glass Bowl_ A Unique Holy Vessel

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僅見稱奇：古代珍罕琉璃缽

康蕊君

琉璃，自青銅時代中國巧匠已擅其製，但年月並沒有讓琉璃普及，滿清以前，琉璃之器彷佛鳳毛麟角，極為珍稀。如此寶缽，獨一無二，當屬傳世佳例。

琉璃似的釉藥，中國陶工自青銅時代早期已有採用，到了青銅時代晚期，彩色斑駁的蜻蜓眼紋琉璃珠從中西亞傳入，不久中國匠人便仿傚之，且有特製飾紋相近之彩色琉璃，嵌綴青銅器皿或小物上，成品華麗出眾，讓人趨之若鶩。

精彩光明的引首，並沒有讓琉璃風靡，卻只迎來崎嶇黯淡。究其因，或其質之美未獲充分展現。在漢代，古人發現可以琉璃仿玉石，廉宜不失美觀，縱然廣見，但既為替代品，琉璃頓失其珍，乏人賞識。

然而，隨著中亞、中東等地胡人遷入，琉璃的發展翻開了全新的一章，特別是南北朝以及此後數百載，異風華物藉由絲綢之路傳進。從伊朗、敍利亞與羅馬帝國其他地區經大漠抵達中原的珍寶，當中便包括了琉璃器皿。這些嶄新的透明器皿，看以虛幻不實，卻可載物，世人無不稱奇，珍慕心賞。受胡匠東傳技藝的影響下，中原遂復製琉璃。

琉璃器物，古代文獻偶有載之，足見其珍，例如《晉書．王濟傳》中有載：「帝嘗幸其宅，供饌甚豐，悉貯琉璃器中」（英譯見安家瑤，〈Glass Vessels and Ornaments of the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties Periods〉，Cecilia Braghin 編，《Chinese Glass. Archaeological Studies on the Uses and Social Context of Glass Artefacts from the Warring States to the Northern Song Period, Orientalia Venetiana XIV》，佛羅倫斯，2002年，頁58）。

琉璃製作所需材料和配方，密而不宣，讓其更形神秘。四世紀道教名士葛洪，擅煉丹藥，在《抱朴子．論仙》中云：「外國作水精椀，實是合五種灰以作之，今交廣（即中國南方交、廣二州）多有得其法而鑄作之者。今以此語俗人殊不肯信，乃云水精本自然之法，玉石之類……夫所見少，則所怪多，世之常也」（英譯見李約瑟，鲁桂珍協助，《中國科學技術史》，卷5：化學及相關技術，第二分冊：煉丹術的發明和發展—金丹與長生，劍橋，1974年，頁64）。

薛愛華雖有寫道，曾有邦國使節來訪長安，屢以琉璃贈大唐，但李唐一朝，琉璃似乎甚罕，且以供佛為主，鮮有用諸日常生活，宮廷亦如是。玄宗寵妾楊貴妃嘗「持玻璃七寶盃，酌西涼州蒲萄酒」，盃上所綴七寶，也是佛教紋飾（薛愛華，《The Golden Peaches of Samarkand》，柏克萊／洛杉磯，1963年，頁143、234-6）。

魏泓在她的絲綢之路研究中指，李唐、北宋年間，中原對琉璃的知識甚貧，實物幾乎只為佛教所用。琉璃，自西方傳入，源與佛教同，其透明清澈，予人純淨之感。琉璃且乃佛教西方極樂世界七寶之一，法器、供奉皆宜。佛塔內，琉璃器既可以供奉佛袓或重要僧人的舍利子，信眾獻貢尤適（魏泓，《The Silk Road, Trade, Travel, War and Faith》，倫敦，2004年，頁157）。

李唐崇佛，上及天子，下至庶民，無遠弗屆，縱然屢有寺院暴增、僧尼斂財等事，仍然盛況空前，風行不減。有以道教為專之唐朝帝君，多次抑佛，但仍受密教的玄奧秘法所吸引，玄宗正為一例，李唐貴族亦然。即使會昌五年（845年）武宗滅佛，對佛學的影響也甚短暫。

在舍利墓、佛塔地宮、洞窟佛殿等處也有發現琉璃器。而繪畫有琉璃器者，除了在甘肅敦煌等地的洞窟佛殿壁畫，還有敦煌及其他地區發現的佛教畫幡。谷一尚在敦煌從隋至元五十洞窟的壁畫上，發現至少八十件琉璃器，器形包括盃、高足盃、盤、盌、缽、瓶（谷一尚，〈Roman and Post-Roman Glass Vessels Depicted in Asian Wall Paintings〉，《Orient》，卷22，1986年，頁128-142）。

洞窟內、畫幡上，所繪琉璃器內雖偶見蓮花，但多空無一物，或為盛載淨水之皿，多置菩薩掌中，但也有見於佛陀或其弟子手上。其描繪多甚逼真，細畫器皿背面或底下的景物，以佛像指掌清𥇦，側寫琉璃透澈。琉璃透明，光色映徹，玄妙神秘。李約瑟指，唐代尚有博物之士，以為琉璃本乃水冰之類，地埋千年，結精而成（李約瑟，王鈴及羅賓遜（Kenneth Girdwood Robinson）協助，《中國科學技術史》，卷4：物理學及相關技術，第一分冊：物理學，劍橋，1962年，頁106）。

中國琉璃稀少，魏泓（前述出處）遂專研多從伊朗傳入之進口玻璃。大英博物館藏一幅九世紀晚期畫幡上，菩薩手中所持磨花琉璃缽，顯然帶有異國藝風，或為薩珊工匠所製（見韋陀及龍安妮，《Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. Chinese Art from the Silk Route》，大英博物館，倫敦，1990年，編號39；圖一）。同類磨花琉璃缽，中國也有出土，例見《走向盛唐》，大都會藝術博物館，紐約，2004-5年，編號65及117。

佛教繪畫上之琉璃器，形狀多較簡約，或屬大唐國產。莫高第334窟內初唐菩薩，半蹲，雙手捧缽，其形渾圓，看似琉璃（見《中國石窟．敦煌莫高窟》，北京，1987年，卷3，圖版79；圖二）。第57窟初唐南壁壁畫上，一佛弟子持淡藍琉璃寶缽（前述出處，卷3，圖版12）。第112窟內中唐壁畫則繪菩薩手托琉璃盃，盃內盛放蓮花一枝（前述出處，卷4，圖版57）。一幅八世紀晚期至九世紀上半葉之菩薩畫幡上，也繪有琉璃盤（Jacques Giès 編，《Les arts de l’Asie centrale. La collection Paul Pelliot du musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet》，巴黎，1995年，卷2，編號27）。

琉璃吹造技術，經胡人傳入中原，大唐匠人學其藝、精其製。安家瑤指，除了琉璃原料配方，其吹製技術在琉璃發展史上也極其重要（《走向盛唐》，前述出處，頁58）。正如此缽，吹製而成，彷彿能把本來尚在流動變化的，瞬間凝住。形狀固定了，時間停頓了。匠人吹製此缽時，琉璃大泡漸漸成形，圓渾曲弧，卻因體重微微下墜。如此大缽製造，絕非平常閑作，必需能匠巧工。

傳世唐代琉璃器極罕，各有不同，往往大相逕庭。此器素雅大方，出版文獻卻無一近例可考。唐代罕例之中，重器要數奈良正倉院藏一尺寸碩大之高足盤（29公分），公元752年記載該器曾用於奈良東大寺的儀典。聖武天皇（724-749年間在位）篤信佛教，建造東大寺大佛，且蓄珍納寶，私藏悉貯正倉院。梁莊愛倫指，學界對其來源眾說紛紜，但由於與同代中國陶瓷器形接近，極有可能從中國傳入。正倉院高足盤泛黃，且盤心微凸，應乃吹製時因黏附棒管而形成之疤痕，種種均與此缽相似（沈從文，《玻璃史話》，李之檀編，瀋陽，2004年，頁166；以及梁莊愛倫，〈A Report on Western Asian Glassware in the Far East〉，《Bulletin of the Asia Institute》，新系列卷5，1991年，頁117，圖22）。

大唐李室嘗挑中外琉璃雅器，供奉法門寺，最後一次為咸通十五年（874年）。法門寺，鄰近西安，藏釋迦牟尼佛指舍利，故屬大唐重要寺塔。有唐一朝，曾多次下旨迎奉舍利，大張旗鼓請至皇城供養，未幾送還，又添御賜華物，場面盛大莊嚴。選中御賜供奉之物，悉為珍罕至極之品，除大量金銀、織錦及上佳秘色瓷，大唐天子所贈還包括二十件中外琉璃。法門寺地宮發現一淺藍琉璃盤，圓唇與此近，盤心微隆，器底有相應之吹管痕跡（圖三）。另有淡黃琉璃器，其色與此器近，包括一直壁缽（圖四）以及一套著名之茶盞與托，後者明顯出自中國藝匠之手（《法門寺考古發掘報告》，北京，2007年，上冊，頁212，圖141:1、頁218，圖145:2，以及下冊，彩圖版182、189:1及191:2）。

雖無器形與此相近之琉璃器例，但形與此類之陶瓷器，唐前已有，例可參見隋朝河北刑窰所製（《刑台隋代刑窰》，北京，2006年，頁69-73及彩圖版4）。

此缽屬宗傑霍明志（霍明志，1880?-1949?年）舊藏。明志生於天津，雙親早歿，受學於當地法人開辦之教堂。1906年，他在北京創立達古齋，經營古董珍玩買賣，以山西所出為大宗，但涉獵範疇甚廣，博學旁通。又待客以誠，傳授辨別真偽之法，並就此出版中法雙語小品，期望樹立學者形象。1932年，他在巴黎德魯奧大樓出售部分收藏，當中便包括此缽，另一部分藏品則在紐約透過 J.C. Morgenthau & Co 易手，同一時間他更在市內舉辦贋品展覽，藉此教育民眾（見 Susan Naquin，〈Paul Houo, A Dealer in Antiquities in Early Twentieth Century Peking〉，《Études chinoises, Revue de l’Association française d’études chinoises》，卷XXXIV，第2期，2015年，頁203-244）。

安德烈．波特爾（André Portier，?-1963年）自十九世紀始，專營東亞絲綢貿易，又創立亞洲藝術鑑定公司 Cabinet Portier & Associés，至今仍屹立巴黎。早在1908年，安德烈籌辦首場中國藝術專場。2016年6月21日 Beaussant Lefèvre 與佳士得在巴黎德魯奧大樓拍賣他的日本版畫及陶瓷收藏，拍賣圖錄中，安德烈的三名孫兒寫道，他們學會了與祖父安德烈．波特爾一起珍賞亞洲藝術，當時卻不知道曾祖父亨利．波特爾（Henri Portier）的喜好。原來他的公寓中，一房以亞洲為題，位處維尼翁道（rue Vignon）9號，樓上正是尚．考克多（Jean Cocteau）與尚．馬利（Jean Marais）的單位。孫子們自幼進出亞洲寶閣，每每猶如步入博物館，藏品卻可任意觸摸，祖父更利用那些亞洲雅器，把中日故事傳說娓娓道來。

關於唐代玻璃聖盌的常見問題解答

1. 為何此件唐代玻璃盌具有極高的重要性？此件玻璃盌被描述為極為重要且可能為孤例的唐代大型玻璃聖盌。其重要性首先在於中國歷代，特別是清代以前的玻璃器極為稀有，傳世品寥寥無幾。此盌直徑達31公分，體量宏大，且目前尚無見可與之直接對比之出版器例，或為傳世孤品。器物採玻璃吹製法成形，技術之高，進一步體現了唐代玻璃工藝的成熟與精湛。

2. 中國玻璃在唐代如何為人所知並受到重視？儘管自青銅時代起中國即有玻璃製作紀錄，然其真正廣泛流行尚需待外來影響經由絲綢之路傳入，尤以南北朝至唐代為最。此一時期，自伊朗、敘利亞乃至羅馬帝國等地輸入的透明玻璃器皿，因其晶瑩剔透且質輕堅固而備受推崇，進而刺激本地玻璃製作復興，技法亦受進口器之深遠影響。

3. 佛教如何推動玻璃在唐代的保存與文化地位？在唐代，玻璃器多見於佛教用途，其透明無瑕之特質象徵「清淨」，且被列為佛教「七寶」之一。由此，玻璃常作為佛塔舍利容器、信眾供養物，或出現於敦煌等地之壁畫與佛教織品幡幟之中。即使皇室，亦偏好將玻璃用作佛教供具，而非日常生活用器。

4. 唐代玻璃器有何出土地點與文獻記錄？唐代玻璃器物與其圖像主要出現於佛教相關遺址，如舍利塔、地宮、佛塔地基及石窟寺等，尤以敦煌石窟最具代表性。此類圖像常見於壁畫與幡幟之中，呈現如盌、杯、高足杯、盤、瓶等多樣器形，常見手持者為菩薩、佛陀或弟子，器中或盛蓮花或供聖水。

5. 此件大型玻璃盌對我們理解唐代玻璃技術有何啟示？以吹製法製作如此大型之玻璃盌，證明當時匠人已具備高超的技術與玻璃加工知識。吹製法為外來傳技，使匠人得以將熔融玻璃塑造成形。此盌輪廓略顯不對稱，乃吹製過程中玻璃自重所致，可視為該技法之直接物證。器物尺寸之宏大，顯示其非尋常製品，須由專業工匠以特殊技術方可完成。

6. 有無與此盌可資比較的唐代玻璃器？雖唐代玻璃器存世稀少，奈良正倉院藏一件直徑達29公分之大型高足盤為已知之重要對比例。該器記載曾於西元752年東大寺大佛開眼會中使用，其器形疑源自中國，因與當時陶瓷器類似，中心微隆之特徵亦與吹製法所致之本盌相似。另如法門寺地宮出土數件淺藍或黃玻璃碟與小盌，為唐代皇室供奉之遺物，然無一與本器體量與形制完全相合。

7. 此件玻璃盌之收藏來源為何？此盌具明確之收藏譜系，其最早可追溯至宗傑霍明志（Paul Houo-Ming-Tse，約1880–1949），一位活躍於北京之古董商與收藏家，1930年前即已擁有此器。1932年該盌售於巴黎，隨後歸於亞洲藝術專家安德烈・波提耶（André Portier，卒於1963）收藏。1985年曾於倫敦佳士得拍賣，2019年再現於香港蘇富比。

8. 此器形與唐代其他藝術形式有何關聯？雖無見與本盌器形完全一致之玻璃器例，其造型與唐及隋代陶製缽形器極為相似，如邢台窯出土之施釉缽即具參考價值。此現象反映出當時不同媒材間之造型互借現象。同時，佛教藝術中頻繁出現玻璃盌形象，進一步強化其作為佛教儀式聖物之文化定位。

A highly important and possibly unique large glass holy bowl, Tang dynasty | 唐　琉璃寶缽

Provenance

Ta-kou-tchai [Daguzhai, Studio for Understanding Antiquity] of Paul Houo-Ming-Tse [Houo Mingzhi, alias Paul Huo] (1880?-1949?), Beijing, 1930 or earlier.

Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 15th February 1932, lot 153.

Collection of André Portier (d. 1963).

Christie's London, 16th April 1985, lot 284.

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8th October 2019, lot 3628.

Literature

Paul Houo-Ming-Tse, Preuves des Antiquites de Chine, Pékin, 1930, p. 409 bottom.

Catalogue Note

"He who has seen little, marvels much"A Rarely Seen Early Blown Glass Bowl

Regina Krahl

Considering the proficiency achieved by Chinese artisans working with glass since the Bronze Age, it remains one of art history’s great surprises that glass did not become more widely used in Chinese society. Chinese glass from before the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) is exceedingly rare, and the present piece, which is unique, would seem to represent one of the finest examples preserved.

Chinese potters had worked with glass-like glazes since the early Bronze Age, and in the later Bronze Age glass artisans quickly learned to copy foreign glass ‘eye beads’, that is, beads inlaid with complex eye patterns in different colours that had arrived from Central or Western Asia. They also fashioned custom-made polychrome glass plaques with similar patterns to be inlaid into bronze vessels and smaller bronze items, thereby creating some of the most desirable luxury goods of the time.

After these promising beginnings, the medium had a less successful interim period in the Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 220). One of the reasons that glass did not experience the meteoritic rise in popularity one might have expected, may be that its quality as a medium in its own right was not fully realised. Instead, its usefulness as a suitable material to simulate jade and other precious or semi-precious stones was discovered, which thus could be replaced by a cheaper alternative. Although the use of glass became more wide-spread, this usage as a substitute of more precious materials temporarily very likely reduced its appreciation and prestige.

A new chapter began with the significant influx of Central Asian and Middle Eastern foreigners, their goods and their tastes via the Silk Route, particularly in the Nanbeichao period (Southern and Northern Dynasties, 420-589) and the centuries thereafter. Glass vessels were among the luxuries brought across the Central Asian desert from Iran, Syria and other parts of the Roman Empire, and these new transparent vessels, seemingly insubstantial, yet fully functional, were greatly admired. Glass achieved an elevated status and was produced in China once more, inspired by the technology imported by foreign artisans.

Occasional references in contemporary texts attest to its preciousness. In Jin shu [History of the Jin dynasty], for example, one biography states about the person “The emperor’s favours were often bestowed on his house He was supplied with abundant food, all stored inside glass vessels” (An Jiayao, ‘Glass Vessels and Ornaments of the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties Periods’, in Cecilia Braghin, ed., Chinese Glass. Archaeological Studies on the Uses and Social Context of Glass Artefacts from the Warring States to the Northern Song Period, Orientalia Venetiana XIV, Florence, 2002, p. 58).

The material and the secrets of its manufacture were long shrouded in mystery, which undoubtedly contributed to its aura. The fourth-century Daoist scholar and alchemist Ge Hong stated “In foreign countries … people make bowls of glass (lit. rock crystal, shui ching [shui jing]) by combining five sorts of ash. Nowadays in our southern coastal provinces, Chiaochow [Jiaozhou] and Kuangchow [Guangzhou], many have obtained knowledge of this art, and engage in such a smelting to produce it… But when they speak of it (as rock crystal) ordinary people will not believe them, saying that rock crystal is a substance found only in Nature … belonging to the category of jade … He who has seen little, marvels much – that is the way of the world.” (Joseph Needham with Lu Gwei-Djen, Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 5: Chemistry and Chemical Technology, part II: Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Magisteries of Gold and Immortality, Cambridge, 1974, p. 64).

Even throughout the Tang (618-907), glass seems to have remained rare and was not much used in daily life, not even at court, but appears to have been largely reserved for use in a Buddhist context. Although Schafer talks about several foreign missions bringing gifts of glass to the Tang court in Chang’an, and even states that Emperor’s Xuanzong’s (r. 713-756) notorious concubine Yang Guifei is reputed to have drunk grape wine from a glass cup, that cup was apparently decorated with the Seven Teasures of Buddhism (Edward H. Schafer, The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, Berkeley/Los Angeles, 1963, p. 143 and pp. 234-6).

In her study of the Silk Road, Susan Whitfield states: “During the Chinese Tang and Northern Song periods (618-907 and 960-1127 respectively), glass was still little known in China, and used almost exclusively by Buddhist communities. Glass was cherished because of its origin in the west, like Buddhism, and for its transparency, which was associated with purity. Glass was also regarded as one of the Seven Treasures of the Buddhist Paradise, hence an appropriate material for offerings and religious accessories. Glass vessels in Buddhist stupas served two different purposes: they were used as reliquaries, to hold the precious remains of the historical Buddha Śākyamuni and important monks; or they were given as offerings by devotees.” (Susan Whitfield, The Silk Road, Trade, Travel, War and Faith, London, 2004, p. 157).

The Tang dynasty and the centuries proceeding it saw an unequalled flowering of the Buddhist doctrine, which exerted a major influence on all strata of Chinese society right up to the court. In spite of repeated controversies that unfolded around the growing popularity of this religion, the increasing riches of temples and the explosion of the number of monasteries, Buddhism continued to grow in popularity. Emperors, who had a much closer affinity to Daoism and undertook repeated efforts to curtail the expansion of the Buddhist religion, such as Emperor Xuanzong, for example, were nevertheless fascinated and attracted by Esoteric Buddhism with its mystical practices, as was Tang aristocracy in general. Even the radical prosecution of Buddhists in 845 only seems to have sparked off a temporary setback, of fairly short duration, for Buddhist beliefs.

Glass vessels have been found in various Buddhist contexts, in sarira (Buddha relic) tombs, in pagoda foundations, in Buddhist cave temples, and are depicted not only in many wall paintings at Buddhist cave temples, particularly in Dunhuang in Gansu province, but also on Buddhist textile banners of silk or hemp found there and elsewhere. Takashi Taniichi has been able to locate over eighty glass vessels in wall paintings of fifty Dunhuang caves, dating from the Sui (581-618) to the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), in form of cups and stemmed cups, dishes, bowls and deep bowls, as well as bottles (Takashi Taniichi, ‘Roman and Post-Roman Glass Vessels Depicted in Asian Wall Paintings’, Orient, vol. 22, 1986, pp. 128-142).

FIG. 1 BANNER OF A BODHISATTVA WITH A GLASS BOWL STANDING UNDER A CANOPY ON A LOTUS, TANG DYNASTY, LATE 9TH CENTURY © THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM

圖一　唐九世紀末　持磨花琉璃缽菩薩畫幡 © 大英博物館信託基金會

Glass vessels are generally shown seemingly empty, that is, perhaps meant to be filled with holy water, but are also shown holding lotus stems. They are generally held by Bodhisattvas, sometimes also by the Buddha, and occasionally by his disciples. Their transparency is often very effectively rendered, with the hands holding the vessel being completely shown, including parts behind or underneath the object. This total transparency gave glass vessels something miraculous. Joseph Needham states that even in the Tang, naturalists still entertained the idea that they consisted of water or ice which had concreted after thousands of years in the earth (Joseph Needham, with Wang Ling and Kenneth Girdwood Robinson, Science and Civilisation in China, vol. 4: Physics and Physical Technology, part I: Physics, Cambridge, 1962, p. 106).

Susan Whitfield (op.cit.) talks particularly about foreign glass, mainly imported from Iran, since Chinese glass was so much rarer; and a silk banner of the late ninth century in the collection of the British Museum clearly shows a Bodhisattva holding a globular facetted bowl of foreign design, probably of Sasanian workmanship (Roderick Whitfield and Anne Farrer, Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. Chinese Art from the Silk Route, the British Museum, London, 1990, cat. no. 39) (fig. 1). Similar facetted bowls have been excavated in China and included, for example, in the exhibition China. Dawn of a Golden Age, 200-750 AD, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2004-5, cat. nos 65 and 117).

Most Buddhist paintings, however, depict glass vessels of more neutral shapes, which could be of local manufacture. A kneeling Bodhisattva holding a large globular bowl, probably of glass, can be seen, for example, in a wall painting of cave 334, dating from the early Tang period (Zhongguo shiku. Dunhuang Mogaoku [Grottoes of China. The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang], Beijing, 1987, vol. 3, pl. 79) (fig. 2); one of Buddha’s disciples is depicted with a blue glass bowl in cave 57, also of the early Tang (op.cit., vol. 3, pl. 12); a mid-Tang wall painting in cave 112 depicts a Bodhisattva with a lotus flower in a glass cup (op.cit., vol. 4, pl. 57); and a Bodhisattva holding a glass dish appears in a painted silk banner of the late eighth/first half ninth century (Jacques Giès, ed., Les arts de l’Asie centrale. La collection Paul Pelliot du musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris, 1995, vol. 2, no. 27).

FIG. 2 KNEELING BODHISATTVA HOLDING A LARGE GLOBULAR BOWL, PROBABLY OF GLASS, NORTHERN WALL PAINTING OF VIMALAKIRTI IN THE WESTERN NICHE OF MOGAO CAVE 334, EARLY TANG DYNASTY. COURTESY OF THE DUNHUANG ACADEMY CHINA, PHOTO BY SUN ZHIJUN

圖二　唐初　半蹲持缽香積菩薩　莫高第334窟西壁龕內北側維摩詰經變　圖片由敦煌研究院提供　孫志軍攝

The technique of glass blowing was transmitted to China through foreigners and led to glass vessels of high quality to be produced in China. As An Jiayao states (China. Dawn of a Golden Age, op.cit., p.58) “Except for the making of glass itself, glassblowing is the most significant invention in the history of glass production.” What makes blown glass shapes like that seen here so fascinating, is that they seem to capture and retain, as if frozen in time, the fluidity of the material at the moment of their creation. When the present bowl was blown, the huge glass bubble created its own distinctive, slightly undulating outline, as the material was slightly sagging due to its own weight. The craftsmanship in blowing such a huge vessel is remarkable and clearly did not constitute an every-day task for the artisan who created it.

Actual glass vessels of the Tang dynasty are few and far between and no example approaching the monumentality of the present piece appears to have been published. One of the most important pieces would seem to be a large (29 cm) stem tray, whose use in ceremonies in the Tōdai-ji, Nara, is recorded for the year 752. It is preserved in the Shōsō-in, Nara, the storehouse of the personal belongings of Emperor Shōmu (r. 724-749), whose personal effects were donated to the Great Buddha at Tōdai-ji Although according to Ellen Johnston Laing, there are different opinions as to its provenance, its shape so closely replicates contemporary Chinese ceramic forms, that a Chinese origin would seem most likely. The yellowish tone of the glass seems to be similar to that of the present bowl, and it shows a similar domed centre, caused by the way it was blown or removed from the blowpipe (Shen Congwen, Boli shihua/History of Glassware, ed. Li Zhitan, Shenyang, 2004, p. 166; and Ellen Johnston Laing, ‘A Report on Western Asian Glassware in the Far East’, Bulletin of the Asia Institute, New Series, vol. 5, 1991, p. 117, fig. 22).

LEFT: FIG. 3 LIGHT BLUE GLASS DISH, TANG DYNASTY, EXCAVATED FROM FAMEN TEMPLE © SHAANXI ARCHAEOLOGY INSTITUTE

圖三　唐　素面淺藍琉璃盤　編號FD5:006　法門寺地宮出土 © 陝西省考古研究院

RIGHT: FIG. 4 STRAIGHT-SIDED BOWL WITH A YELLOWISH TINT, TANG DYNASTY, EXCAVATED FROM FAMEN TEMPLE © SHAANXI ARCHAEOLOGY INSTITUTE

圖四　唐　素面淡黃直筒琉璃缽　編號FD5:032　法門寺地宮出土 © 陝西省考古研究院

Sometime before 874, exquisite glass vessels, both of foreign origin and of utterly Chinese shape and make, were selected by the imperial household to be donated to the Famen Temple near Xi’an, one of the Empire’s most important temples, since it held a Buddha bone, one of the holiest Buddhist relics. Several times during the Tang dynasty was this bone transported with great pomp to the imperial palace and, after a short stay there, returned to the Temple in a lavish procession together with rich imperial gifts. The imperial donations it received were clearly chosen for their sumptuousness and rarity, representing the best to be had. Besides large quantities of gold and silver, silk brocades, and the finest ‘secret colour’ (mi se) porcelains, the Tang emperors’ gifts included twenty pieces of foreign and Chinese glass. Among them is a light blue glass dish with a similar emphasised lip and domed centre with corresponding pontil mark on the base (fig. 3). A bowl with straight sides (fig. 4) and the famous tea cup and cup stand, which is obviously of Chinese workmanship, all have a similar yellowish tint as the present bowl (Famensi kaogu fajue baogao/Report of Archaeological Excavation at Famen Temple, Beijing, 2007, vol. 1, p. 212, fig. 141: 1 and p. 218, fig. 145: 2, and vol. 2, col. pls 182, 189: 1 and 191: 2).

While no close glass comparison for this shape can be cited, ceramic vessels of this alms bowl shape were created already before the Tang dynasty, for example, by the Xingtai kilns of Hebei in the Sui dynasty (Xingtai Suidai Xing yao [The Xing kilns of the Sui dynasty at Xingtai], Beijing, 2006, pp. 69-73 and col. pl. 4).

Paul Houo-Ming-Tse [Huo Mingzhi, alias Paul Houo] (1880?-1949?), the former owner of this bowl, was an orphan, who grew up in Tianjin where he was educated by French missionaries. In 1906 he became a dealer in antiques and curios and opened his Ta-kou-tchai [Daguzhai, Studio for Understanding Antiquity] store in Beijing. Dealing in a very wide array of antiques, many of them procured in Shanxi province, he quickly gained knowledge and expertise in many different fields. He aimed at being seen as a scholar and to teach his clients, both about genuine articles and forgeries, a subject he also published a small book about, both in Chinese and French. In 1932 he sold part of his collection, including the present bowl, at Hôtel Drouot in Paris, and another part through J.C. Morgenthau & Co in New York, where concurrently he exhibited a group of fakes for educational purposes (see Susan Naquin, ‘Paul Houo, A Dealer in Antiquities in Early Twentieth Century Peking’, Études chinoises, Revue de l’Association française d’études chinoises, vol. XXXIV, no. 2, 2015, pp. 203-244).

André Portier (?-1963) founded Cabinet Portier & Associés, an appraisal firm for Asian art still in existence today in Paris, as part of the company Henri Portier & Co, who since the 19th century specialised in the import of silk from East Asia. In 1908, André Portier organised his first sale of Chinese art. Japanese prints and ceramics from his collection were sold through Beaussant Lefèvre and Christie’s at Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 21st June 2016, and the catalogue contains the following statement by his three grandsons: “We have learnt to love Asian art with our grandfather, André Portier, not having known Henri Portier, our great-grandfather. In his apartment, 9 rue Vignon, right under the flat of Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais, a room was dedicated to Asia. This room was opened to us when we were still very young, a museum where touching the objects was allowed. Japanese and Chinese legends came to life in the stories told by our grandfather and through these Asian objects that we could manipulate as we pleased.”

MURAL OF BUDDHA OF MEDICINE BHAISHAJYAGURU (DETAIL), YUAN DYNASTY, C.1319

GIFT OF ARTHUR M. SACKLER, IN HONOR OF HIS PARENTS, ISAAC AND SOPHIE SACKLER, 1965

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART ACCESSION NO. 65.29.2

IMAGE COPYRIGHT © THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. IMAGE SOURCE: ART RESOURCE, NY

元約1319年　藥師佛壁畫（局部）

1965年賽克勒（ARTHUR M. SACKLER）以父母 ISAAC AND SOPHIE SACKLER 名義惠贈

紐約大都會藝術博物館藏品編號65.29.2

圖片版權 © 紐約大都會藝術博物館　圖片提供：ART RESOURCE, NY

Frequently Asked Questions: The Tang Dynasty Glass Holy Bowl

What makes this Tang Dynasty glass bowl exceptionally significant? This bowl is described as a highly important and possibly unique large glass holy bowl from the Tang Dynasty. Its significance stems from the extreme rarity of pre-Qing Dynasty Chinese glass, with surviving examples being exceedingly few. This particular bowl, due to its size (31 cm diameter) and the fact that no closely comparable examples have been published, is considered a potentially unparalleled piece of historical glass art. Its creation through glass-blowing further highlights the advanced techniques of the era.

How did glass become known and valued in China, particularly during the Tang Dynasty? While glassmaking existed in China since the Bronze Age, it didn't become widely popular until the influx of foreign influences via the Silk Road, especially during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty. These foreign imports, originating from regions like Iran, Syria, and the Roman Empire, introduced new transparent glass vessels that were greatly admired for their seemingly insubstantial yet functional nature. This led to a revival of Chinese glass production, influenced by imported techniques.

What was the role of Buddhism in the preservation and appreciation of glass during the Tang Dynasty? During the Tang Dynasty, glass appears to have been primarily associated with Buddhism. Its transparent quality was linked to purity, and it was considered one of the Seven Treasures of the Buddhist Paradise. Consequently, glass vessels were frequently used in Buddhist contexts, such as reliquaries in stupas, offerings by devotees, and as depicted in Buddhist art like wall paintings and textile banners found in places like Dunhuang. Even the imperial court seemed to favor glass for Buddhist offerings over daily use.

Where have Tang Dynasty glass artifacts been discovered or depicted? Tang Dynasty glass items or depictions have been found in various Buddhist sites, including sarira tombs, pagoda foundations, and Buddhist cave temples, notably in Dunhuang. They are frequently illustrated in wall paintings within these caves, as well as on Buddhist textile banners. These depictions show glass vessels in forms like bowls, cups, stemmed cups, dishes, and bottles, often held by Bodhisattvas, the Buddha, or his disciples, sometimes containing lotus flowers or possibly holy water.

What does the existence of this large glass bowl suggest about glassmaking technology during the Tang Dynasty? The creation of such a large glass bowl through blowing indicates a high level of skill and technological understanding during the Tang Dynasty. Glass blowing, introduced to China by foreigners, allowed artisans to shape the molten glass into impressive forms. The slightly uneven outline of the bowl, resulting from the weight of the material during blowing, is a testament to this process. Crafting such a monumental piece suggests that it was not a routine task and required specialized expertise.

Are there any known comparable Tang Dynasty glass vessels? While surviving Tang Dynasty glass is rare, a large (29 cm) stem tray in the Shōsō-in, Nara, Japan, is considered an important comparable piece. Recorded as being used in a ceremony in 752 AD, it shares similarities with this bowl in its potential Chinese origin (due to resemblance to contemporary ceramics) and a slightly domed center likely caused by the blowing process. Additionally, smaller light blue and yellowish glass items, including a dish and bowls, have been excavated from the Famen Temple, which received imperial donations of glass, though none precisely match the size and form of this large bowl.

What is the provenance of this particular Tang Dynasty glass bowl? This bowl has a documented history of ownership, starting with宗傑霍明志 (Zongjie Huomingzhi), also known as Paul Houo-Ming-Tse (1880?-1949?), a collector and dealer in Beijing who owned it by 1930 or earlier. It was later sold in Paris in 1932 and subsequently belonged to André Portier (?-1963), an expert in Asian art. The bowl was later part of a Christie's London auction in 1985 before appearing in a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction in 2019.

How does this glass bowl relate to other art forms of the Tang Dynasty? While no direct glass parallels in shape exist, the form of this bowl echoes that of ceramic alms bowls that predated and existed during the Tang Dynasty, as seen in Sui Dynasty pottery from the Xingtai kilns. This suggests a cross-pollination of forms between different artistic mediums. Furthermore, the association of glass with Buddhist practices is reflected in Tang Dynasty Buddhist art, where glass vessels are frequently depicted as important ritual objects held by significant religious figures.