北朝笔记 vol.28 哈佛大學博物館：北齊黃釉虎子 - Harvard University, Northern Qi Tiger-shaped Chamber Pot (Huzi)

虎子多見於兩晉時期的越窯青瓷，這件北齊製品極為罕見，六朝時代的虎子不僅有陶瓷，也有響銅製品，這種被嚴重低估的作品，仍然值得藏家學者繼續探索、關注。

北齊黃釉虎子

哈佛大學博物館收藏

此黃釉虎子為一隻張口蹲伏的虎形容器，口部為圓柱形開口，頂部至臀部有一弧形提手。其體表裝飾模仿薩珊金屬工藝，包含五瓣棕櫚葉和珠飾。器物為淡黃色的陶土，表面覆蓋有鉛釉，裝飾為模製及雕刻而成，底部未施釉。製造地點不確定，可能位於中國北方。此物屬四件哈佛大學館藏器物中的一件（編號2006.170.255-258）。

相關比較：

1. 1968年在河北省平山縣發掘的北齊（公元550-577年）銅製動物形容器，出自崔昂墓（公元566年）。詳見《文物》1973年第11期，第29頁，圖2。

2. 1970年在山西省太原市發掘的北齊（公元570年）青瓷壺，裝飾風格與此便器相似，現藏於山西博物院。詳見《中國出土瓷器全集》第5卷：山西（北京：科學出版社，2008年），第16號。

   
   

器物編號：2006.170.255

時期：北齊（公元550-577年）至隋（公元581-618年）

來源：2000年4月由中國瓷器公司（紐約）出售；2000年至2006年由沃爾特·C·塞奇威克基金會（加州伍德賽德）部分捐贈；2006年捐贈給哈佛大學藝術博物館。

收藏與版權：哈佛藝術博物館/亞瑟·M·薩克勒博物館，部分由沃爾特·C·塞奇威克基金會捐贈，部分通過厄內斯特·B·和海倫·普拉特·丹恩亞洲藝術基金購買。

出版歷史：

《中國瓷器公司：經銷商記錄，1985-2000》，拍賣目錄，中國瓷器公司（紐約，2000年），第59頁。

展覽歷史：

《塵世的樂趣：6000年亞洲陶瓷》，哈佛大學藝術博物館，劍橋，2022年5月21日至8月14日。

這件來自北齊時代的黃釉虎子是哈佛大學藝術博物館的重要收藏之一，它代表了中國北方陶瓷工藝的精湛技術，並且展示了當時跨文化交流的影響。

Tiger-shaped chamber pot (huzi)

Handled chamber pot in the form of an open-mouthed, crouched feline, with cylindrical opening at the mouth, arched handle attached from the top of the animal’s head to its rump, and molded decoration on the body modeled after Sassanian metalwork, including five-point palmettes and beading; buff earthenware with pale yellowish-green lead-fluxed glaze over molded and carved decoration; base unglazed. Place of manufacture uncertain, probably northern China. One of a set of four burial vessels (2006.170.255-258).

Compare to:

(1) Bronze animal-shaped chamber pot of related form excavated in 1968 from the Northern Qi (550-577) tomb of Cui Ang (dated to 566) in Pingshan, Hebei province. See Wenwu [Cultural Relics] 11 (1973): 29, fig. 2.

(2) Celadon ewer of different form but with similar molded decoration excavated from the Northern Qi tomb of Lou Rui (dated to 570) in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, now in the Shanxi Museum. See Zhongguo chutu ciqi quanji [Complete Collection of Chinese Ceramics Unearthed in China], vol. 5: Shanxi (Beijing: Kexue chubanshe, 2008), no. 16.

Object Number

2006.170.255

Northern Qi (550-577) to Sui (581-618) dynasty

Provenance

[The Chinese Porcelain Company, New York, April 2000] sold; to Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation, Woodside, CA (2000-2006), partial gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2006.

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Partial gift of the Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation and partial purchase through the Ernest B. and Helen Pratt Dane Fund for Asian Art

Publication History

The Chinese Porcelain Company: A Dealer's Record, 1985-2000, auct. cat., The Chinese Porcelain Company (New York, 2000), p. 59

Exhibition History

Earthly Delights: 6,000 Years of Asian Ceramics, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 05/21/2022 - 08/14/2022

Tiger-shaped vessels, known as "huzi" in Chinese, were prevalent during the Eastern Jin period, particularly in Yue kiln celadon. This particular piece, however, is an extremely rare example from the Northern Qi dynasty. During the Six Dynasties period, tiger-shaped vessels were made not only from ceramics but also from bronze. These often overlooked artifacts still deserve the continued exploration and attention of collectors and scholars.

This yellow-glazed tiger-shaped vessel is designed as a crouching tiger with an open mouth. It features a cylindrical opening at the mouth, with an arched handle extending from the top to the hindquarters. The surface decoration imitates Sassanian metalwork, including five-petal palm leaves and bead motifs. The vessel is made of light yellow clay, covered with lead glaze, and decorated through molding and carving techniques. The bottom is unglazed. The exact place of manufacture is uncertain but is believed to be in northern China. This piece is part of a set of four artifacts in the Harvard University collection (catalog numbers 2006.170.255-258).