拍賣筆記 vol.283 蘇富比香港：317.5萬港元售出，元龍泉窰飛青環耳瓶，岡田美術館 - An Okada Museum Heirloom Longquan Celadon 'Tobi Seiji' Handled Vase, Yuan Dynasty Sold for 3.175m HKD

飛青瓷在龍泉體系中屬極少量的特殊品類，其美學評價並非來自泛泛的市場熱度，而是長期建立於專業鑑賞圈的共識。尤其以大阪市立東洋陶瓷美術館所藏的元代飛青瓷玉壺春為代表作，被列為日本重要文物，長期作為飛青瓷的審美標桿。也正因如此，此一品類在東亞學界、茶道研究與陶瓷史領域擁有極高認知度。

本件環耳瓶便完整落在這個「高認知」序列之中：褐斑布局精準、青釉沉穩豐厚，器形挺拔，具作花器（花生）之最佳比例。而真正拉高它的競爭力的是一條難得清晰、跨越百年的傳承鏈條——出自信州松本藩主戶田子爵家舊藏，1930年即有明確著錄，且在京都、箱根等地反覆展出，最後再度入藏岡田美術館。這種可被完整追溯的來源，是任何市場估值最難複製的部分。

然而，即便具備稀少器型、成熟美學評價與強韌的傳承基底，這件飛青瓷最終僅以317.5萬港元成交。這不是合理的“低調”，而是市場定價尚未對應其歷史位置。

在此背景下，本件環耳瓶所呈現的價值，遠不止於其最終成交數字，而更體現在其在釉色結構、施斑技法與百年傳承之間所構築出的整體性。這類器物往往需要長期累積的知識與審美經驗方能完整讀取，因此價格的滯後，某種程度上反映的不是器物本身，而是市場對其語境理解的進程。從收藏的角度看，它屬於會隨時間不斷被重新評估與吸納的作品，其位置並非由短期熱度決定，而更取決於其在專門領域中的穩定份量。

Tobi seiji represents a highly regarded and comparatively rare branch of Longquan celadon, appreciated for its distinctive interplay between celadon glaze and iron speckling. The importance of this glaze type within East Asian ceramic studies has been shaped in part by well-documented masterpieces—most notably the celebrated Yuan tobi seiji Yuhuchun-ping preserved in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, which has long served as a key reference point for understanding the aesthetic and technical qualities of this ware.

The present handled vase exhibits many of the characteristics associated with mature examples of the type: carefully arranged russet markings applied before glazing, a soft and even celadon surface, and a balanced, upward-rising silhouette well suited for use as a flower vessel. Its provenance further strengthens its art-historical significance. Formerly in the collection of the Toda family, hereditary lords of Matsumoto, the vase is securely recorded in a 1930 Osaka Art Club catalogue and has an extensive exhibition history across Kyoto, Yawata, and Hakone prior to its inclusion in the Okada Museum of Art. Such a continuous and well-documented line of transmission enhances both its academic and collecting value.

Given the rarity of the form, the distinctiveness of the glaze type, and the clarity of its provenance, the final price of HKD 3.175 million may be viewed as moderate within the broader context of the Longquan market. Tobi seiji remains a specialised field that appeals particularly to collectors and scholars familiar with its technical and aesthetic nuances. As appreciation for this category continues to expand, pieces with strong documentation and long-established provenance—such as the present example—are likely to occupy an increasingly well-defined position within the scholarship and market for Yuan dynasty Longquan celadon.

元龍泉窰飛青環耳瓶

An heirloom Longquan celadon 'tobi seiji' handled vase, Yuan dynasty

Auction Closed

2025 November 22, 06:38 PM HKT

Estimate

1,000,000 - 2,000,000 HKD

Lot Sold

3,175,000 HKD

Japanese double wood box

24.3 cm

來源

戸田子爵家收藏

《信州松本藩主戸田子爵家蔵品入札目録》大阪美術倶樂部，大阪，1930年，編號59

展覽

《特別展覧会—日本人が好んだ中国陶磁》，京都國立博物館，京都，1991年，編號65

《大唐長安展—京都のはるかな源流をたずねる》，京都文化博物館，京都，1994年，編號283

光悅會，京都，1996年

《松花堂茶会記と茶の湯の世界—開館記念特別展》，八幡市立松花堂美術館，京都，2002年，編號18

《開館5周年記念展―美のスターたち―光琳．若冲．北斎．汝窯など名品勢ぞろい》， 岡田美術館，箱根，2018-19年，展覽編號105（沒載圖）

出版

小林忠編，《岡田美術館名品撰》，卷2，東京，2018年，編號9

壺喇叭口，頸內束，中起弦紋一道，兩側黏燒環耳，腹鼓下垂，下腹亦起弦紋一週，圈足略外撇，通施梅子青釉，釉面點褐斑，即日人所謂「飛青」。 

本品釉色之審美精髓在於沉鬱褐斑與青釉素地形成的強烈視覺反差，飛青瓷之名正是古代日本茶人因其釉面褐斑飛灑之態所創，見小林仁，《國寶飛青瓷花生の研究》，載《龍泉窰瓷器研究》，北京，2013年，頁404。此類褐斑系施釉前以筆繪於坯體，雖看似隨意，實則暗含章法：細審本品褐斑以瓶身正中為軸點染四點，兩側再或對稱，或錯開點染，且多數褐斑由多重筆觸疊染而成，極富層次。青釉本象征自然界的永恒靜美，鐵斑卻賦予動態張力，二者矛盾統一的大膽嘗試，成就了和諧之美。這種將穩定青釉與躍動褐斑熔鑄一體的悖論美學，恰是飛青瓷永恒魅力的本源。

此類龍泉花瓶在日本茶道中作「花生」（花器）使用。據小林仁考釋，「花生」指能滋養花枝的器皿（前揭書，頁407），此概念實源自明代中國。曹昭《格古要論》（1388年）載：「古銅器入土年久受土氣深，以之養花，花色鮮明如枝頭，開速而謝遲，就瓶結實。」可知明代鑒藏家已有以古器蓄花之習。與本品相似之龍泉飛青雙環耳瓶尚未得見，北京故宮藏一例明早期之類似器型，惟無褐斑飛青，見《天下龍泉：龍泉青瓷與全球化》，卷2， 北京，2019年，編號102。

其他器型的飛青瓷存世品包括—蒜頭瓶兩例：伊勢收藏一例飛青蒜頭瓶，刊載於《中國陶磁名品展：伊勢收藏の至寶》，東京，2012年，頁54-55，編號41，香港佳士得2016年11月30日售出一對，編號3133；以及飛青玉壺春瓶五例：大阪市立東洋陶瓷美術館藏一例，及日本私人藏重要文化財一例，分見於小山富士夫編，《世界陶瓷全集·宋遼篇》，卷10，東京，1956年，圖版17及49；日內瓦鮑氏藏一例，見約翰·艾爾斯，《バウアー コレクション 中国陶磁名品展》，東京，1994年，編號13；倫敦維多利亞與阿爾伯特博物館藏一例，見威廉·鮑耶·霍尼，《The Ceramic Art of China and Other Countries of the Far East》（中國及遠東陶瓷藝術），倫敦，1945年，圖版36；鳳尾尊兩例：大維德基金會藏一例，見蘇玫瑰，《Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation》（皇家品味：大維德基金會藏中國陶瓷），舊金山，1989年，頁47，編號22；福岡石橋美術館藏一例，見小林仁前書，頁410，圖19；香港佳士得2018年11月28日售出一例，編號2953；雙耳瓶兩例：日本私人藏一例，同小林仁前書，頁410，圖22；上海博物館藏一例，見朱伯謙，《龍泉窰青瓷》，台北，1998年，編號155；梅瓶三例：日本私人藏一例，見三上次男等，《世界陶磁全集》，卷13，東京，1981年，頁44-45，編號32；北京故宮藏一例，見《中國文物精華大全·陶瓷卷》，台北，1993年，頁356，編號626；香港佳士得2011年11月30日售出一件，編號3010；盤碟兩例，俱藏北京故宮，見《天下龍泉》，編號76及80；台北故宮尚藏有飛青瓷三足花插及執壺各一亦資參考，載於《故宮藏瓷·龍泉窰》，香港，1962年，頁54，圖版14及頁66圖版21。

Condition Report

The underside of the mouth rim with a small retouched flake (approx. 2cm). Otherwise, in good overall condition, with a few glaze crackles running deeper into the stoneware body on the foot ring.

口沿底部見一剝痕（約2公分），經潤飾。除此以外，整體品相良好。胎足處些許片紋較深。

If a condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot, it is for guidance purposes only. Such condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alterations, or adaptations because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather a condition report is a statement of subjective, qualified opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For these reasons, any such condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. Prospective buyers should also refer to the Guide for Buyers at Auction which includes important notices concerning the type of property in this sale.

Provenance

Collection of the Toda family.

Shinshu Matsumoto Hanshu Toda Shishaku-ke Zohin Nyusatsu Mokuroku [Auction catalogue of the Viscount Toda Collection], Osaka Art Club, Osaka, 1930, cat. no. 59.

Exhibited

Special Exhibition. Chinese Ceramics: The Most Popular Works Among Japanese, Kyoto National Museum, Kyoto, 1991, cat. no. 65.

Daito Choan te. Kyoto no harukana genryu o tazuneru [Special exhibition of Changʾan], Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto, 1994, cat. no. 283.

Koetsukai, Kyoto, 1996.

Matsukado Chakaiki to Cha no Yu no Sekai. Kaikan Kinen Tokubetsuten, Shokado Art Museum, Kyoto, 2002, cat. no. 18.

5th Anniversary Exhibition. All-Stars of the Okada Collection: Masterworks of Korin, Jakuchu, Hokusai and the Ru Ware Kilns, Okada Museum of Art, Hakone, 2018-19, exh. no. 105 (unillustrated).

Literature

Kobayashi Tadashi, ed., Masterpieces of the Okada Museum of Art, vol. 2, Tokyo, 2018, no. 9.

Catalogue Note

The aesthetic allure of this vase lies in the arresting contrast between the mottled russet speckles and the serene celadon glaze—a dialogue of movement and repose. The term tobi seiji (“flying celadon, feiqing in Chinese”) was coined by Japanese tea connoisseurs, evoking the lively splash of the brown markings across the glaze. Such decoration was meticulously planned: seemingly spontaneous yet guided by careful method. Examination reveals the russet spots were painted on the unfired body with deliberate rhythm—four arranged around the central axis, flanked by symmetrical or staggered pairs, each built up through layered brushstrokes to create remarkable depth. The tranquil, jade-like celadon conveys timeless stillness, while the iron speckles lend dynamic vitality. This union of opposites—the poised and the energetic—defines the enduring poetic tension at the heart of tobi seiji wares, for more discussion of this glaze type and its Japanese terminology, see Kobayashi Hitoshi, “Study on the National Treasure tobi seiji Celadon Flower Vase,” in Longquan Kiln Ceramics Studies, Beijing, 2013, p. 404.

In Japan, such Longquan vases were cherished as hana-ike—vessels for flower arrangement. As interpreted by Kobayashi (ibid., p. 407), the term denotes a vessel “that nourishes the life of flowers,” an idea rooted in Ming China. The notion finds early expression in Cao Zhao’s Gegu Yaolun (1388): “Ancient bronzes, having absorbed the essence of the earth for long years, when used to hold flowers, make their colours vivid and their bloom enduring.” This record reveals that the aesthetic practice of displaying flowers in ancient vessels was already established among Ming collectors.

No other tobi seiji vase of this exact type appears to be recorded. Compare, however, a double-ring-handled vase of early Ming date, without russet speckling, in the Palace Museum, Beijing; see Celadons from Longquan: Longquan Celadon and Globalization, vol. 2, Beijing, 2019, no. 102.

Surviving examples of Longquan tobi seiji celadon are exceedingly rare and span a wide range of forms. See garlic-mouth vases: one in the Ise Cultural Foundation collection, illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics: The Treasures of the Ise Collection, Tokyo, 2012, pp. 54–55, no. 41, and a pair sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2016, lot 3133. Yuhuchun vases: are in the Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, and in a Japanese private collection designated an Important Cultural Property, both illustrated in Koyama Fujio, Sekai Tōji Zenshū: Sō–Ryō hen, vol. 10, Tokyo, 1956, pls. 17 and 49; another is in the Baur Collection, Geneva, published in John Ayers, Baur Collection: Chinese Ceramics Exhibition, Tokyo, 1994, no. 13; and a further example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in William Bowyer Honey, The Ceramic Art of China and Other Countries of the Far East, London, 1945, pl. 36. Fengwei zun vases: one in the Percival David Foundation, illustrated in Rose Kerr, Imperial Taste: Chinese Ceramics from the Percival David Foundation, San Francisco, 1989, p. 47, no. 22; one in the Ishibashi Museum of Art, Fukuoka, illustrated in Kobayashi, op. cit., p. 410, fig. 19; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 28 November 2018, lot 2953. Double-handled vases: one from a Japanese private collection, ibid., p. 410, fig. 22, and one in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in Zhu Boqian, Longquan Celadon, Taipei, 1998, no. 155. Meiping vases: one in a Japanese private collection, illustrated in Sekai Tōji Zenshū, vol. 13, Tokyo, 1981, pp. 44–45, no. 32; one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Essence of Chinese Cultural Relics: Ceramics, Taipei, 1993, p. 356, no. 626; and another sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3010. See also two dishes and trays in the Palace Museum, Beijing, Celadons from Longquan, nos. 76 and 80, while the Palace Museum, Taipei, holds a tripod flower vase and a ewer, both published in Porcelain of the Palace Museum: Lung-ch’üan Ware, Hong Kong, 1962, p. 54, pl. 14, and p. 66, pl. 21.